


A Twin Star

by ROGUEFURY



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: Adult Content, Adventure & Romance, Angst and Romance, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy, Dark Past, Dimension Travel, Drama, F/M, Humor, Past Lives, Realm Hopping, Romantic Comedy, Self-Discovery, Sexual Content, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-07 03:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 290,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ROGUEFURY/pseuds/ROGUEFURY
Summary: A girl finds her way into the DBZ dimension, where with the help of her fave fics and with the use of an old possession from a previous life, will find who she truly is, and where she belongs.





	1. Garnet Discovery

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_   _"Dreaming"_**

**She had just finished her usual chores and was now partaking in the most ungodly type of boredom she had ever had. Most people would think that a 17 year-old going on 18 would be out screwing around and having the time of her life. Unfortunately for Sofia, she was the kind of girl who took painstaking-effort of not being grouped with the frivolous, impractical and shallow majority of people her age.**

**Since childhood, her perception of life, and her way of thinking was always above everyone else her own age. Needless to say, she never got along with others, or had any solid friendships. This had remained true this day; not that she wasn't used to it already.**

**She now just remembered that she wanted to check the updates to the last fics she had been reading on the web. She walked over to the only computer in the house, located between the kitchen and the living room, and sat down in the chair. She turned her monitor on and typed in her password to open her private desktop. Starting to get comfy, she decided to turn on the speakers and plug in her headphones so that she could tune out her younger brothers, who were yelling back and forth about a sock or what not. After putting the headphones on, she continued with her usual routine of finding the right music and going to the web. As her favorite KORN song began, she was jolted from her daily ritual by her mother, who had tapped her shoulder to get her attention.**

**"Jesus! You scared the hell out of me!" she said to her amused mother.**

**"Well, you're always listening to that crap so loud anybody can sneak up on you," her mother nagged in response. "Don't be on that thing all day. I'm going out."**

**Sofia had just noticed her mother's attire, and figured she was going to be out until 6:00pm.**

**"Are you taking the pinhead twins with you?!" Sofia mused with annoyance in her tone.**

**"Yes, and I told you not to call them that! You really have no filter you know," was her mother's usual complaint.**

**"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm Satan or anything," said Sofia and finished up by crossing her arms at her mother's judging look.**

**"Sometimes I wonder if I gave birth to Satan's spawn," her mother countered, to which Sofia only scowled.**

**"Very funny."**

**After a little more verbal sparring, her mother gave up on her only daughter and left, taking the so-called "pinhead twins" with her. With the departure, Sofia went on to checking for updates and came upon none, so she decided to skim through some of her fave fics. She went through Cyndi's "BelieveReality" and looked through Delta Damioh's last chronicle, which was about 54 chapters long.**

**With an irritated sigh and grunt, she could only think of one thing after looking through both fics**

**… _Lucky bitches! Fiction or not, they at least have the life I wish I had… and the man I wish I had; ever-sexy Piccolo._**

**With a deep sigh, she continued out loud. "What I wouldn't do to…" she was cut off by her dog's loud, high-pitched bark, which was a sign that something wasn't right. Irritated by the noise Prince, her black and white cocker spaniel, was making, she decided to see what it could be about.**

* * *

 

**_What could that psycho dog be barking at?!_ ** **Was my first thought after logging off the computer. I looked at the cable box in the living room and saw it was only noon, which surprised me since I figured I had been on longer. _God I need a LIFE!_  I mentally remarked, a slogan for the day, replacing the ever popular:  _This sucks ass!_  or  _Jesus Christ this sucks,_  I would normally use.**

**I began to make a mental list of things I could do, which was something like: make nails pointy, fresh coat of black nail polish, drawing Trunks pic, and so on. Ever since I bought the Majin Buu saga on dvd, I'd become re-obsessed with DBZ. I started to zone out about buying the box sets I was missing when I heard Prince make that irritating howl again.**

**"Prince! What the hell are you barking at?!" I said when I got to the doors that lead to the backyard. I looked out to see if maybe there was a suicidal iguana trying to seal its fate _—_  something that happened once in a while _—_  climbing the wall that closed up our backyard that was about 10 feet high. When I saw that there wasn't, I walked outside and went into the direction that I heard Prince barking in.**

**At the far corner of the yard, Prince was digging a pretty deep hole, which totally surprised me. "He doesn't normally act this stupid."**

**As I said that, he looked at me and began to freak out and howl like he had actually found something. My only thought as I walked over to the hole was, _This is Puerto Rico, "the island of enchantment," where the most exciting thing for me to see is my dog digging a fucking whole to China_. I couldn't help but smirk at that, but as I walked over, my mind ran out of smart-ass remarks for what I saw.**

**The first thing that I noticed was that the dug-up soil was chunky and completely black, which is not indigenous to Puerto Rico. I bent down to look into the hole and see if maybe Prince hit a pipe or something that would explain the color and feel of the soil, but…at the bottom of the hole was a bunch of blood-red rose petals; it was as if they had just been placed there, but I knew for a fact that the dog had just dug it up.**

**_What the hell_ ** **…**

**I reached in and pulled a handful of rose petals out, and placed my hand under my nose to see if they had fragrance, which they did!**

**I went down on my knees so I could reach in deeper and pull more petals out. I was a little nervous by the whole thing as it was, so when Prince pounced on my back and made me lose my balance, I think it's understandable that I was caught completely off guard.**

**"Oh shit!" I managed to thrust my arms straight in front of me to stop myself from falling face first in the dirt. My hands slammed into the dirt and the rose petals, and my long nails hit something completely solid underneath. "God damn it, Prince!" I yelled out and gave my dog a dirty look, which made him walk away and sit under the swing set in the backyard. In a split second, my hands began to tingle madly, and the scent of roses flooded my senses. I looked down at my hands, which were still in the hole, and saw that the petals were gone, as if they were never freaking there!**

**I leaned back out of the hole and looked at the palms of my hands _—_  which were beginning to sting, and then I realized that the tingling sensation was going up my arms and spreading all across my body; even my hair tingled!**

**"What the fuck is going on!?" was the last thing I could say, since the stinging feeling that started in my palms was now shooting all over my body. It felt like each pore of my skin was being stung by a needle. It became so intense that all I could do was hiss from the pain. When I thought my skin was going to burn off, the feeling all at once stopped.**

**After what felt like forever, I opened my eyes _—_ they had been clenched shut from the pain, and began to inhale normal amounts of air again. I looked down at my arms, and felt my skin. Nothing…except that the birthmark on my right wrist was gone, and I didn't have any scars!**

**"This can't be happening…" I mused, as if I would get an actual answer.**

**I looked at my legs, my knees, everywhere… and not a single one of my scars was there! I thought I was going fucking nuts, so I looked at my left arm closely, and I noticed that there was no hair either. As a matter of fact, the only hair left on my body was on my head, my eyebrows and my eyelashes.**

**"This is fucking loony!" I stated in awe and realized that there was something else in the hole.**

**I leaned forward and looked down into the hole. The thing my nails had hit earlier was now in plain sight, since the rose petals were what covered it before. I reached in and grabbed it, and brought it up.**

**_What could this be?_ ** **ran through my mind as I inspected the box. It was made of dark-colored wood that I couldn't identify. It was shaped like a hexagon, and it had an intricate pattern carved into it, which was filled with what looked like onyx. It wasn't very heavy, but I somehow knew there was something inside it.**

**"No latch… or keyhole. How the hell does it open?"**

**At this time, Prince walked over to my left side to see what I had pulled out of his hole. He took one sniff at it, whined, and ran under the patio table.**

**"Shit. That's not a good sign." After stating the obvious, I got up and went into the house, went upstairs, and walked into my room, which was down the hall to the right, next to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and faced my bed. The headboard of my bed is against the only windows in my room. On the left of the bed is the night table and at the right is my table where I have my boom box cd player. Next to that is my desk with all the crap humanly possible you can put on a desk. My tv, vcr, PS2, and cable box are in the corner next to my 3-mirror doors closet.**

**I'm pretty proud of my room, especially all the posters and pictures in it. On the wall behind the door is my KORN poster and against that wall is my bureau. On the wall parallel to that one I have two shelves for my cd collection, and under those shelves is my Emily the Strange calendar and an old-ass poster of NSYNC _—_ guilty pleasure, please don't laugh. Above my bed, hanging on the curtain rod, I have two cloth posters of my fave animes: DBZ and X.**

**I also have a very prolific collection of dvds, more than half of which are DBZ-related.**

**My room was clean and neat, so I sat on the bed and began to try and open the freaking box. First, I tried to force it open normally… nothing. Then I tried using a letter opener, just to almost inadvertently impale my right hand.**

**"God damn it! How the fuck do you open this!?"**

**Out of frustration and fury, I slammed the box against the table with my boom box… and NOTHING! The only thing I succeeded in doing was knocking down my Piccolo action figure. I bent down and picked it up, checking to see that it hadn't broken. As I held the figure in my hand, I remembered how I got it. My brothers had a collection of DBZ action figures, everyone from Goku, Vegeta, Mirai Trunks, etc. My destructive little brother made it a hobby to rip the heads of any doll he could find, including 7 out of the 8 DBZ dolls he had. When he was cleaning his room one day, he found the Piccolo action figure and before he could do anything to it I snatched it away and claimed it. The only thing it was missing was the turban, but he had everything else.**

**As I thought of the memory, my fave Piccolo moments came to mind, including the one that still depresses the Hell out of me; when he dies on GT.**

**I let out a growning sigh at the image, and let my left hand fall to my side. I had the doll in my right hand and I just stared at it. My left hand came to rest on top of the box. I ran my index finger straight across the surface, while I still stared at the doll.**

**"Piccolo…"**

**When I said that, I heard a snapping sound and I looked toward the box. The intricate pattern came alive and started moving toward the edges of the surface, leaving a line in the middle where the box flipped open.**

**"Whaa…t?" I muttered in awe as I took a step backwards. I put the doll on my desk and stepped forward to look into the box. Inside was a necklace, with a very weird pendant. The necklace itself was made of what looked like onyx, and the necklace pieces were as thin and the size of rice. The pendant was big enough to almost cover the palm of my hand _—_ I'm very petite and my palms are small, but I have long fingers  _—_  and was also made of the same onyx as the necklace. The cool thing about the pendant was that as the box, it had an intricate pattern in onyx that held into place a hexagon-shaped garnet stone in a circular onyx band. The reason this was so cool to me was because garnet is my birthstone.**

**_Coincidence… I freaking think not!_ ** **was the first thing that came to mind after staring at the necklace.**

**I took the necklace and held it in my left hand so I could see inside the box. Only the necklace had been in it and the inside of the box was lined with black silk, but when hit by light it looked blood red.**

**_What is going on here?! Ok, the box opened when I said Piccolo, I know that much, but…_ ** **I couldn't think straight or come up with a logical explanation, so I started pacing.**

**"Ok, this really is weird…even for me." I stopped pacing and looked at my reflection at the closet-door mirror. I had forgotten to change out of my house clothes. "Jesus, I look like crap!" With this said, I slid open my closet door and pulled out the black long pants and red shoulder-less shirt I had bought at Hot Topic.**

**I went to my bureau and combed my hair. I sat down on my bed and put on my black converse sneakers, completing the look. I stood up and looked at myself in the full-body closet mirror again.**

**"Might as well put it on." I undid the necklace and put it on, letting it fall so that the pendant was under my clavicle.**

**My reflection stared back at me. A 5'2, 100 lb., petite girl with long, dark brown hair and matching eyes. A girl with caramel skin and a beauty mark just right on the left edge of her upper lip.**

**"Don't know why I even bother…" I cut myself off when I noticed that what I was saying wasn't being mimicked by my reflection. I raised my right hand to see if my reflection would do the same… NOTHING. It just stared back at me!**

**"What…?" My reflection put her left hand up, and said something, but… I didn't hear it with my ears; it was said in my mind.**

**"Believe."**

**I was so freaked I shut my eyes, as if it would all stop and make sense if I did. "Believe…what?" When I didn't get an answer I opened my eyes, and my reflection was gone! As a matter of fact… my room wasn't being reflected anymore. In my mirror was what looked like a pottery store, but in ANIME!**

**"Believe?! But that was only a fic!" I stood there trying to process if all of it was real. I got my answer when I looked at the pendant. The stone looked like it was glowing and like there was liquid swirling around inside, like those oil stains, but instead completely red.**

**"The necklace! It's a key, just like in the fics, but that was fiction… I know it was." My mind was on overload. I kept going over the facts and trying to remember what happened in the fics, when I got an idea. I stepped towards the mirror and with my index finger I touched the surface. The entire surface rippled like a pond, and then slowly went flat again.**

**"Fiction or not, this is really happening to me." I ran to the corner of my room where I had my backpack and ran back to my bureau, where I pulled out two extra pairs of clothes and packed them. Then I grabbed my deodorant, toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, and my little makeup bag.**

**"Believe huh… shit, I'll do more than that." With that said I walked through the mirror.**

* * *

 

**The first thing I did when I was on the other side was trip and do an anime-style dive to the floor.**

**"Jeez, that was graceful," I muttered to myself.**

**I got up and looked at my surroundings. I was in a hut that was made into a pottery store with a bunch of crafts, rustic furniture, and the full-length mirror I fell out of. When I looked at the mirror I saw my room on the other side. I heard people talking and jerked my head in the direction; they were at the front entrance. When I looked back at the mirror, there was my reflection, just staring at me!**

**Before I could say anything, she said, "You belong." I heard it in my mind again. As soon as she said that, my room and she faded away, leaving me with a look of quandary on my face and the present surroundings being reflected at me.**

**_Belong…where?_ ** **I questioned in my mind, but before I could even begin to figure it out, I felt a tap on my shoulder.**

**"ACK!" I turned to come face to face with an elderly-looking dog/man, who got freaked just as I did.**

**"Sorry miss, I didn't know you were back here." The kind tone of his voice made me switch into my cool and normal demeanor. _He's a half-breed, just like on DBZ!_**

**"Sir, where exactly am I?" Was my straight-faced question, which must have taken him by surprise, since he gave me the apprehensive look I've come to know well. I guess I have a pretty deep voice for a girl _—_ but it's still very feminine, OK  _—_  and my demeanor makes me a little intimidating; something from years of being teased and ignored by the rest of the free world… but I don't think I'm bitter  _—_  honest!**

**Anyway, after staring at me for at least 12 seconds he said, "You're in East City… not so far from the East District." This took me by surprise, since I knew from the web that Goku's address was 439 East District, and that he basically lived on Mt. Paozu.**

**"Is Mt. Paozu near by?" was my next question for the man.**

**He gave me a wide and friendly grin, and said, " It's about two miles away. All you have to do is go up the road and stop when you see a sign with the address you're going to, and follow the dirt road that the sign indicates."**

**"Thanks," I muttered and began walking off, when I realized that the mirror was my way home. _Shit! If he sells that mirror I'm screwed._**

**"Sir, how much for the mirror?" I asked as I turned around to face him again.**

**"Well… the original price is 200 zeni, but I'm willing to knock it down," was his response as he kicked into bargain mode.**

**_I can't buy anything! Even if I did have money on me, the currency here is zeni_ ** **. Then I got an idea. "I'll give you 500 zeni if you hold it until I get back." I gave a slight smirk at the way his eyes lit up with money signs, and waited for his response.**

**"Fi-fi-five hundred zeni… you got yourself a deal, miss!" he stuttered as he came and forcefully shook my hand.**

**"Good," was my last response. I looked over and caught my reflection in the mirror, and realized that I had forgotten that I was anime too. _DURRRRR SOFIA!_  was the loud, berating voice that signified my overwhelmingly idiotic conclusion of the day.**

**I faced the mirror completely so I could take it all in better. By this time, the man had gone back to the front where I heard him say to the other man, "That girl is really weird." I ignored the comment and zoned out looking at myself in anime. First thing, my face was shaped like Android 18's, but I still had my high cheekbones. My lips looked like Bulma's when she wears lipstick. I had Videl's eyebrows and nose, but my eyes were Android 18's sort of almond-shaped eyes and my hair was a sort of mix between Chi-Chi's and Android 17's style _—_ it also looked longer. But what I really liked was my skin tone, which instead of its usual caramel complexion, was a lot like Vegeta's olive skin tone but with a golden tan. And to finish my anime look was my beauty mark, which was still in the same place.**

**_I guess I belong now. This is awesome_ ** **. With that thought, I put on my backpack and went to the front. As I went, both men waved at me energetically. _Guess I made their day with that offer._**

**Of course, I didn't intend to go through with it. My plan was to go sightseeing and then sneak back into the hut and through the mirror _—_  good thing that didn't happen.**

**Anyway, I walked up the road and began what was supposed to be a simple joyride and ended up being something that would change my life forever _—_ I know, very cliché, but seriously true. I walked up the road for what felt like an hour and finally came to the sign the man had told me about, but there was a little problem… it was in Japanese, and there were three dirt roads going in different directions.**

**"Ah shit… what the hell am I going to do?! No freaking subtitles," I said very irritated to myself, and started looking around to see if there was anyone who could help me.**

**"Not one damn soul nearby. Jesus!" I closed my eyes and rubbed them from the frustration, something I didn't normally do. But as soon as I stopped and opened my eyes, I felt like there had been a change and my eyes focused on the Japanese symbols on the sign, and it all came clear!**

**"North City 200 miles. Gingertown 450 miles. Mt. Paozu (East District) 3 miles. How the hell did I read that?" I said dumbfounded to myself and took the dirt road at the far left that the sign indicated as the road to Mt. Paozu.**

**As I walked, I began to piece together a sort of theory to what could have been going on. _The necklace obviously has something to do with Piccolo, and it's a key between my dimension and this one, allowing me to come through, but… how did it get into my backyard, and how long has it been there? Does the fact that it has my birthstone have anything to do directly with me, or is it just a coincidence? I wonder where in the DBZ timeline I am located in. And what the hell was the deal with my reflection, and those rose petals…I can't figure it—_  I heard something in the bushes behind me to the right and abruptly stopped.**

**I heard a growl, and I immediately looked at my surroundings for a get away if what I was presuming was correct. Then I realized that my surroundings looked familiar. _Where have I seen this?_**

**As if to answer my question, a big-ass mountain lion crept out from behind it's hiding place only 30 feet behind me, then it clicked in my head.**

**"That's the lion that chases Gohan in the old ending credits of DBZ," I said to myself and realized that I should start running. I did an about face and started hauling ass down the dirt road, with the mountain lion not so far behind.**

**"Shitshitshitshitshitshit…!" I looked ahead of me and saw that the road split into two directions. _Crap! Which way do I freaking go?!_  I sped up faster and at the last moment went right. I succeeded in psyching out the lion, which ended up with his face in the trunk of the tree that stuck out the most from the fork in the road.**

**I looked back and saw that the lion managed to pull his face off the bark and look at me with spirals in his eyes. _J_ _eez, that was_... "OH SHIT!" I skidded to a halt in front of a rocky cliff that gave way to a very jagged bottom.**

**"Why does the universe see fit to torture me!" I groaned lamely as I turned irritatedly towards the mountain lion 40 feet away.**

**_This is so much fucking fun!_ ** **was what my mind shouted at me. "Well…" I stood in my old Tae kwon do stance and prepared myself. "…guess I'm going to have to kick you in the ass, you fat fucking cat!" I growled, which was completely lost on the retarded animal in front of me, since he charged right at me.**

**I braced myself for my planned kick, which would of connected with the lion's snout, but instead stopped midway when out of the corner of my right eye I saw a palm-sized ki blast coming toward me. The ki blast swooshed right by me and blasted the lion into a nearby tree.**

**"Damn," was my remark as the smoke cleared to expose the now singed stupid-looking lion, which screeched and ran away into the brush leading to the forest to my left.**

**"Are you OK?" was the sincere question I heard behind me, and the voice was very familiar.**

 

 


	2. DBZ Realm

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**I slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice that addressed me, knowing already who it was.**

**Hovering 5 feet over the jagged fall was a chibi Gohan, who was wearing a yellow button shirt with short blue overalls and brownish shoes. He also had that untamed, long black hairstyle he had most of his childhood.**

**I guess I was staring at him funny, because he blushed and cocked an eyebrow when he said, "Um...are you ok?"**

**That snapped me out of my daze, and I tried frantically to figure out how I should react to the half-Saiyan in front of me. _By the look of him, I can presume that I'm in the timeline between after Frieza and before the Androids. How the hell can I._.. my thought was cut off by Gohan's shy and meek attempt to break the ice.**

**"Um...I live really close by if you're lost and need to stay somewhere. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind. Oh, and my name is..."**

**"Gohan. Thanks for the offer, but are you sure it's ok?" I interrupted, since I couldn't wait to see one of the most famous anime landmarks _—_  Son Goku's family home.**

**"How did you know my name?" the half-Saiyan asked in awe and surprise, probably since I was acting so weird.**

**I crossed my arms and gave as best of a reassuring smile I could. "Sorry if I freaked you out. My name is Sofia and well...um...do you think you could come down onto ground so I can explain everything to you? You're really an intelligent kid, so I know you won't think I'm a loon like the majority of the philistine people around here."**

**At this he smiled and landed on the ground. "Sure! And don't worry, I've been through some incredible stuff in my life, so I'm very open-minded." As he said this, he walked over and sat down under the nearest shady tree. I followed him and sat next to him in the lotus position.**

**I went on to tell him the cliffnotes to what had happened, since I didn't want to freak him out by telling him he's a cartoon character. For the next hour he sat there and listened intently to the theories I had come up with, once in a while asking the details to one thing or saying "ah" when he agreed with something I said.**

**Ok, I had also made up my mind and decided that I would bend the truth a little, so I could tell him how I knew about him and answer everything he quizzed me on, without giving away the whole anime thing. It was pretty sci-fi, but better than the fantastical explanation I remembered Cyndi telling Piccolo in on of my fave fics, that managed to upset HIM, the guy who had brutally died a couple of times and didn't even complain _—_ that I remember.**

**_Shit, I actually felt bad for how he reacted and felt when she told him. I could never fuck up Gohan's perception of the world he lives in and the life he has_ . With that, I decided to stick with what I had told Gohan so far, which was technically true and valid.**

**After a long pause between us, the cute kid finally spoke up, reiterating the essential parts of my explanation.**

**"Ok. So what you're saying is that you're from another dimension that's parallel to this one...and that you were able to pass into my dimension because of your necklace, which must be a sort of key that only allows you to travel through both our dimensions...through mirrors that act like magical portals." He looked at me with a look that asked if he got it right.**

**"Pretty much," I replied to his silent question, which encouraged him to continue.**

**"And the reason you know about me and everything else is because in your dimension, you have a special device that allows you to see into the timelines of other dimensions and study their technology, people, and universe." As he finished saying this, his eyes got an excited gleam and he stood up, with what I think was his fave fact of my explanation. "And because of that device, you know what's going to happen in my timeline before it even does occur!" he excitedly stated, to which I smirked and nodded yes to.**

**"That's so cool! Maybe you can help us know the future so that we can prevent evil things _—_  like Frieza from ever happening again!" He had that gleam again, so when my mind halted me from replying, I knew I wouldn't see it for a good while.  _I can't tell them future events... It could ruin their whole timeline, like what happened with Trunks in the Android saga! And if my other idea is correct, since GT was the last DB series, this dimension or realm probably came to be its own real existence! That's what my reflection meant when she told me to "Believe." To think, reading all those fics actually contributed to me figuring this out._**

**I frowned when I realized that I would have to tell this to Gohan, who already knew something was up.**

**"Gohan, I...can't do that. It could have serious repercussions on your dimension and timeline." The boy frowned and bowed his head in defeat. Seeing him so disappointed really bothered me. "I'm sorry."**

**"It's ok...I understand. But...can't you at least tell me if my dad is ok?" he pleaded.**

**I thought about it, and figured since it was something that had already happened, it wouldn't cause a catastrophe if I told him.**

**I stood up from the ground and faced him with a reassuring smile, and placed my left hand on his right shoulder. "Don't worry about him, kid. He kicked Frieza's ass and got off of Namek before it exploded."**

**"Really...? WOW! When is he coming back?" was his overwhelmingly joyful response, and poignant question.**

**"It depends...how long has he been gone?" I asked, since the answer would also help me pinpoint where exactly in the timeline I was in, and help give Gohan some solace.**

**"He's been gone for over a year," replied the half-Saiyan prudently.**

**_That means it's only a little while until Trunks comes to the past with his future-altering warning_ . I smirked and looked into Gohan's expecting face, ready for my foreboding reply.**

**"He's on his way back as we speak. He'll probably get here real soon."**

**"AAALRIIIGHT!" was his loud shout as he jumped up and down, which managed to scare off the birds living in the trees around us, and echo off into the distance pass the rocky edge. "Well, I guess we should get home. I was supposed to go to the nearby pond and catch some fish for dinner," he said meekly after his little outburst.**

**"Ok, how about we just go to the pond so you can fish? I know how your mom is and I don't want you to get into trouble because of me," I remarked and crossed my arms, and leaned my weight to my right leg.**

**"It's just that, the fastest way to get to the pond is flying and, um...no offense, but I can't sense any ki from you. I could carry you, but we would get home really late."**

**"You can't sense my ki? But I thought every living thing has ki!" was my surprised reply.**

**"That's true... you could be cloaking it. I'm just not sure," he replied simply.**

**"Well, how about you teach me how to fly? If my ki is being cloaked, it should flare up when I try to fly." I wasn't sure it would work, but why not try.**

**"OK! Lets try it out," was his enthusiastic reply. He proceeded into giving me a 15 minute explanation of how to direct my ki and control it. He told me that I had to picture it running all through my body, and with my mental will make it bubble up as much as possible. Then when I felt like it was going to boil over, I had to will it to push me upwards.**

**"Lets hope I don't bust my ass," I muttered more to myself than Gohan, who simply giggled. "What's so funny?!" I said a little irritated, since I thought he was messing with me with the crash-course in flying he had given me.**

**"It's just, you remind me of someone I know," he said a little shyly because of my intimidating tone.**

**"Really...who?" I asked cocking an eyebrow in curiosity.**

**"You remind me of Mr. Piccolo!" he responded with a new sense of pride.**

**My eyes opened really wide and I think I had at least 2 sweatdrops on the sides of my head. "Yeah right!" was my scoffed remark as I turned my head away from Gohan so he wouldn't see the blush that was heating my cheeks.**

**"No, really! Your attitude is a lot like his, and your smart and you figure things out as fast as he does."**

**Just thinking about the sexy Namek made me change the subject, so I could avoid my mind's desire to think hentai in front of his old pupil. "Alright already! Could I try and fly, or are we just going to stand here!?" was my emphatic remark, which Gohan nodded meekly to and fell silent so I could concentrate.**

**I closed my eyes and straightened my stance, and began to envision my ki. For about 5 minutes, I felt like a dumb ass, but before I knew it, something clicked in my mind and I could feel my ki boiling up in the pit of my stomach. Then in the back of my mind, I willed my ki downwards as it felt like it was about to boil over. The next thing I knew, I couldn't feel solid ground under my feet, so I opened my eyes.**

**"YOU DID IT! And on your first try, WOW!" was Gohan's happy shout. Then he paused and scratched the back of his head in sudden realization. "Sofia, I didn't sense any ki from you, not even a little flare up," was the kid's confused remark.**

**"What the hell...are you sure?" was my baffled question.**

**"Maybe I'm wrong. Hey, try making a ki ball, that's a full proof way for sensing ki. Just do what you did before, but instead of willing the ki to push you upwards, command it into a tight sphere in your hand." I nodded and got back on the ground. I opened my left hand and willed my ki to come to the surface via my palm. In less than 10 seconds I had a red-hot ki sphere floating in the palm of my hand, but it was very different from what I had expected to see.**

**"Your ki is red...that's new," Gohan commented, and after a pause he followed up with, "...and I still didn't sense any ki."**

**_OK, this is overwhelming. I can fly, make ki balls, and I can do this only after my first try. I didn't even have to strain I just willed it! It's like something I already knew how to do and just forgot how to do it.  
_**  
**In annoyance, I threw the ki ball at the nearest rock, not expecting the incredible force and speed I used to do so; the rock practically disintegrated upon exploding! "Gohan. How do you sense ki anyway?! Cuz if I can fly and throw energy balls in one try I should have ki, no matter how minuscule," I remarked a little agitated and took my cross-armed stance, waiting for an answer.**

**He gave me an up and down look and smiled, like he had seen that type of reaction hundreds of times. "Well...maybe since you're from another dimension I can't sense your ki. Try sensing mine to see if it's the same outcome," was his well-put answer.**

**"OK. How do I do that?"**

**He walked up and looked into my eyes, and emphatically said, "Your mind is your 6th sense. Just reach out and feel for any energy out of the ordinary. You'll know your doing it when the buzzing in the back of your head starts; it increases or decreases depending on the amount of ki someone gives off."**

**"Fine. I'll "free my mind" Matrix style," was my cheap try of using my fave Matrix catch phrase, which of course Gohan didn't get.**

**"What...?" He gave me a goofy look.**

**"Forget about it. I'm going to try now." I reached out like Gohan said, and in less than 2 seconds got an intense buzzing feeling all over the back of my skull. "Damn Gohan, you're seriously extra-ordinary."**

**"You sensed my ki? Then that means there must be another explanation. Oh...thanks," he started seriously and finished off humbly after my compliment sunk in.**

**"Ok, lets forget about the whole sensing thing. We should go so you can catch dinner like you were originally going to," I said and gave him a small smirk.**

**"Alright, the pond is only a mile from here flying, and we can walk back home." He jumped in the air and floated at least 50 feet off ground. I propelled myself by his side and we flew towards the pond. We passed over a lot of trees and hills during an incredibly sunny afternoon. _I'm actually flying...and it isn't a dream. This rules!  
_**  
**"ALRIIIIGHT!" I shouted into the air, causing Gohan to follow my lead.**

**"WHOO HOO! It's amazing isn't it," he remarked.**

**"It really is, kid. Hey, is that it?"**

**I spotted a huge pond that was in the middle of dense forest. "Yeah. That's the pond." We slowed down and landed right by the edge of the nearest shore.**

**Well, I actually tripped and fell backwards on landing. "That was a fun trip!" I shouted at myself, which got Gohan to really laugh. I laughed a little too, and sat in the lotus position so that I wouldn't crush my backpack.**

**Gohan and I were at the pond for about half an hour, during which he caught 2 big-ass fish and 4 smaller ones. When he was done, we walked back to his house by following a dirt path that lead us through the dense forest to the east. I carried the 4 small fish while he carried the 2 big ones on each shoulder. After 5 minutes of silence, Gohan said, "You know, it's really nice to meet someone new. It's been a while since I hung out with someone besides mom."**

**"What about Piccolo? I know he can be a pain-in-the-ass loner most of the time, but he's still your friend. He hasn't visited you?" I asked and looked at him out of the corner of my right eye.**

**"Well...not really. I haven't seen much of him since the whole Garlic Jr. thing. He's probably looking for solitude in the Arctic," he sighed. "You know how he is...what am I saying? You probably do," he exclaimed more than said.**

**"I guess so," as I said this, we finally got to the valley where Gohan's house was, and as soon as we were in 30 feet near the house, I heard an ALL too familiar shout.**

**"GOHAN! Where have you been?! You left over an hour ago to do something that takes you less that 30 minutes to do! Were you hanging out with that smart-mouthed monster again?!" The ever-bitchy Chi-Chi hollered at a very embarrassed Gohan.**

**"Mom, I wasn't hanging out with Piccolo. The reason I was late was because on my way to the pond I met Sofia after saving her from a mountain lion. I guess we got a little sidetracked. Sorry..." was his quick answer, which seemed to appease his mother, for the time being.**

**"Well, I guess that's a valid excuse," she turned away from Gohan and directed her sight on me. "Very nice to meet you. Come on in to the house, you look like you've had a long day. By the way, I'm—'' she said extending her right hand for a shake.**

**I interrupted her and shook her hand, "You're Chi-Chi. No need for an introduction," I said and waited for the inevitable freak out.**

**"HOW DID YOU KNOW MY NAME?" was her baffled question, which Gohan answered for me. He went on and explained the whole story with an excited mind frame that only succeeded in confusing the hell out of her.**

**"Whatever you say, Gohan. Just as long as she's not here to fight," was all his mother could say as she rubbed her left temple from the information overload.**

**"Mom, could Sofia stay here tonight? She doesn't have anywhere to go."**

**"Of course! It's always nice to have company over." We all walked into the house, where Chi-Chi kicked into military mode. "Gohan, put the fish in the kitchen and go wash up, you haven't studied today, so I want you to go over your math for at least and hour," was the routine command.**

**"But mom..."**

**"No buts, young man. MARCH!"**

**"Oh ok." Gohan walked down the hallway in defeat.**

**For the next hour, Chi-Chi rambled on about the hardships of raising a growing half-Saiyan boy with little to no money. She also poured her heart out about always being left to fend for herself and how maddening it was to be married to the incredibly dense Goku.**

**"...It's like talking to a very naïve child all the time...and the worst thing is that all that fighting he does is a bad influence on Gohan." She sighed and continued, "And that monster he's always hanging around with is no role model either! I swear, I don't know what Gohan and Goku see in him!"**

**_OK, I WAS actually feeling a morsel of sympathy for the raving pain in the ass, but I'm not letting her badmouth Piccolo in my presence.  
_**  
**"What they see in him is the guy who took in Gohan and trained him to be the sensible, resilient kid he is today. They also see the guy who sacrificed himself and his selfish motives to save Gohan, and who helped in the fight against Frieza," was my blunt statement to the woman. I finished off by crossing my arms and adding in a matter-of-fact tone, "If it wasn't for Piccolo, you wouldn't have your son or an excuse to complain, because you would be dead along with this planet."**

**Chi-Chi's expression went from offended to one of embarrassment, since my words dawned on the truth, causing her to understand my point.**

**"You're right...it's just so hard sometimes, you know," was her comment more than a question, to which she sounded defeated.**

**"Hey, sorry for being so forward. I don't have a filter," I muttered as an apology.**

**"Oh, it's ok. I know I can be overbearing," she said, and perked up. "How about I get us something to drink. What would you like?"**

**"Water is fine, thanks," I replied and got a funny look. "WHAAT?! Why are you looking at me that way?"**

**"You just reminded me of Piccolo," was her defense.**

**I scoffed in reply, "What the hell is it today! All I did was ask for water."**

**"OOOOOk... I'll be right back." She got up from the chair she was at in the living room and walked to the kitchen, giving me time to scowl. I was sitting in the couch next to the doorway and across from the fireplace. While she was away, Gohan came into the living room and sat down next to me. "That was really nice what you said about Piccolo... even if it was to prove my mom wrong." He gave me a coy smile.**

**"Well it's the truth; that's all I wanted her to realize," I replied simply.**

**At this time, Chi-Chi came back with a glass of lemonade and another of water. She gave Gohan the one of lemonade and handed me the other. "Thanks," I muttered and gulped the water down.**

**"Sofia, how about you take a nice hot shower while I get dinner ready. I have an extra nightgown you can borrow."**

**'So I guess I stink... sure, that would be great," was my response that got a giggle out of Gohan.**

**"Ok. Let me get you the nightgown and show you to the bathroom." I got up and followed Chi-Chi to her bedroom down the hall and past Gohan's room, which was to my left at the corner; the bathroom was across from Gohan's room. Chi-Chi gave me a purple nightgown that came up to my knees and had long sleeves. She then led me to the bathroom door. "There's a fresh towel on the vanity in the bathroom," she told me as I was walking through the door.**

**"Thanks." I shut the door and proceeded with my showering ritual. I got the shower going with hot water, and put my hair up in a bun. I reached into my backpack and got the liquid soap I had packed, and placed it on the vanity. Then I took my clothes off, folded them neatly, and put them in my backpack with everything else. I got the liquid soap and stepped under the shower spray, and relaxed as I got myself clean. When I was done, I stepped out of the shower and turned it off, and proceeded to dry myself off with the towel. Then I put the nightgown and a fresh pair of panties on. My cup size didn't show under the supposed-to-be-busty nightgown.**

**I looked at my reflection in the vanity mirror, and became mesmerized by how much I had changed. _This was by far one of the coolest days of my life. What else could compare?  
_**  
**As I thought this a knock at the door made me jump. "Sofia, are you ok in there?" Chi-Chi asked from the other side.**

**"Yeah! I'm just combing my hair. I'll be right out."**

**"OK." I proceeded to undo my hair and comb it; I let it flow down my back, and I pulled out my long bangs so that they would frame my face. When I finished, I picked up my backpack and sneakers, and opened the door. I walked back down the hall and turned left, so I would be facing the kitchen entrance.**

**"Nice to see you cleaned up, Sofia!" said Gohan with a wise-ass tone and smile from his seat at the kitchen table.**

**"Oh really?! Well nice to see you out of your mama's boy clothes, Gohan," I shot back at the now blushing boy.**

**"Ok you two, dinner is ready," announced Chi-Chi as she placed a full banquet of fish, rice and noodles that under normal circumstances would be enough to for a group 59 people, but for a growing half-Saiyan, was a satisfying dinner.**

**_Damn that's a lot of food!_  I shouted in my mind while a put my belongings next to the couch in the living room. I walked over to the table in the kitchen and sat across from Gohan. Chi-Chi handed me a plate and made a sort of gesture that said "dig in before he inhales it all," and sat down to my left with her own plate already filled. I took the hint and proceeded to put some fish and rice on my plate, leaving the noodles untouched since I knew from watching Goku pig out that noodles are a Saiyan's fave food. After dinner, Chi-Chi stayed in the kitchen washing dishes, while Gohan and I went into the living room and hung out.**

**"So Sofia, since you know everyone in the Z Forces, do you think anyone is cute?" was Gohan's out-of-nowhere question, which made me sweat-drop.**

**"Well...yeah. You and your dad are cute." At this Gohan blushed. I continued, "You two look just like your grandfather."**

**Gohan exclaimed wide-eyed, "Really?! You mean my real granddad? What was he like?"**

**"Well his name was Bardock, and he was a great warrior and a very intelligent Saiyan. He looked just like your dad does, except he was more tanned and he had a scar on his left cheek."**

**"Wow..." was his proud reply. "So who else do you like?" was his next question.**

**"I guess I like Vegeta a lot...I find him very attractive. Oh and I also really like P—'' I cut myself off when I realized what I was saying. _WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! YOU CAN'T TELL HIM YOU HAVE THE HOTS FOR PICCOLO, YOU BAKA!_ I berated myself and quickly changed the answer, "...P-Puar!"**

**"Puar?!" replied Gohan, but then got a sly look and said, "Don't you mean Piccolo?"**

**"Whaaat!?" I said with a huge sweatdrop on the side of my head and with a slight tint of blush on my cheeks. _Very smooth, retard_.**

**"Come on, you like him! Just admit it; you two have a lot in common," was his matter-of-fact reply.**

**"I don't think that's true!" I scoffed with faked indifference.**

**"Oh really? Tell me one thing you two don't have in common, besides the fact that he's a big green Namek who used to be evil, and maybe I'll believe you," was his taunting deal.**

**_Ahh! What the hell! I do have a lot in common with that fine-ass Namek, except...  
_**  
**"I have a sense of humor," I stated in a victorious tone, and gave him a sly smirk.**

**"Oh yeah? Prove it!" was Gohan's challenge.**

**"FINE!" I looked around the room and found the perfect prop. I walked over and picked up an empty white bowl that was on the coffee table. I stuck my hair into a bun and put the bowl on my head. Then I went on my knees and waddled over to Gohan and did my best Krillin impression, "Hey man! What do you say we go and scope out the ladies. I'm sure your mom won't mind!" I made my voice sound as much as Krillin's as possible. I succeeded and Gohan fell to the floor laughing.**

**"You got any special requests, cuz I can impersonate anyone you throw at me," was my cocky comment.**

**Gohan managed to recover from his laughing fit long enough to say, "Do Vegeta!"**

**"Alright." I got up and took the bowl off of my head. I stood in a straight stance, and put on the Vegeta scowl. "What are YOU looking at you 3rd class BAKA! I'm the Prince Of ALL Saiyans, and you will pay for such insolence!" I finished up by crossing my arms and giving a faint irritated growl.**

**"Hahahaha, Oh man! That was right on the money!" he continued giggling his little ass off. "Oh-Oh, do Piccolo!"**

**"Ok, but he better NOT find out about this!" I told Gohan and narrowed my eyes.**

**"I promise I won't tell him!"**

**"Fine." I looked around, but didn't find what I needed. Chi-Chi walked into the room with the essential thing I was looking for.**

**"I brought you a pillow and a blanket so you could sleep on the couch, Sofia."**

**"Thanks," I said, and noticed that the blanket was white and the exact length I needed. I took the blanket from Chi-Chi and tied it around my neck. Then I put the bowl back on my head and stuck my ears out so that it would look like a turban. In full costume, I scowled and crossed my arms. Then I narrowed my eyes at Gohan, and in the most baritone voice I could, "GOHAN! Get your butt over here! You're going to train like you've never trained before! And I don't want any whining! Do you understand?!"**

**Gohan did a mock bow and said in between laughing, "Hehehe—yes sir, I understand!"**

**I continued, "GOOD! Now go get me a glass of water!" When I said this, Gohan burst into hysterical laughter.**

**Chi-Chi, who had stayed in the room off to the side, giggled and stated, "That is the best Piccolo I've ever seen. It was even better than the real thing."**

**"It really was... hahahaha, oh man!" Gohan remarked and continued to laugh holding his sides.**

**"If you say so."**

**"Well... I'm going to bed. Gohan, you can stay up a little longer, but I want you in bed by 9:30, OK?" said Chi-Chi as she got up and stretched after watching us goof around some more.**

**"OK mom. Goodnight!" replied Gohan. Chi-Chi smiled and walked down the hall to her bedroom.**

**For the next hour, Gohan and I talked about the whole Frieza thing. Well, it was Gohan who did all the talking, I just listened. After a long pause, Gohan looked out the window into the darkness outside, and said in a sighing tone, "I hope Mr. Piccolo is ok."**

**I gave him a small smirk and said, "Don't sweat it, kid. For all you know he'll probably visit you tomorrow. After all, he could never stay away from such a good friend."**

**Gohan gave me the trademark Son grin and scratched the back of his head. "You're probably right. I guess I'm going to bed now," he yawned and stretched. He got up and walked pass the corner into the hallway.**

**"Goodnight, Gohan," I said as I got up and started getting the couch ready.**

**"Oh Sofia! I almost forgot to tell you." I turned around and gave Gohan a suspicious look.**

**"Yeah, what?"**

**The little smart-ass gave me a huge grin and said while trying to contain his giggling, "Have sweet dreams about Piccolo!"**

**"WHY YOU...!"**

**"Haha, goodnight, Sofia!" he finished off by running down to his room and shutting the door.**

**_HUMPH, Very funny!  
_**  
**I laid on the couch and snuggled up under the blanket. Little did I know that "sweet dreams" would be the last thing I'd be dreaming about for a long time.**


	3. Maniacal Meeting

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**_"She was in a huge meadow that looked to be completely ravaged during an intense battle. She tried to make out more details of her surroundings, but the images would flash rapidly in her mind's eye, causing her to just get more lost._ **

**_For what seemed like minutes, she just stood there not knowing what to make of it...until she heard what sounded like two individuals fighting. She looked up and saw two figures in rapid combat, which was so intense that she couldn't make out when one move ended and the other began._ **

**_Out of nowhere, one of the figures slammed into the ground, creating a crater that shook the ground for seconds. Just as Sofia was going over to see who it was, everything changed, like if her mind switched to a different channel. Now she was facing a brilliant white light that hurt her eyes when she tried to look into it. In the light, she saw the silhouette of what looked like a warrior in some sort of armor. The warrior stood at least over a foot taller than her._ **

**_She started walking toward the figure, but before she could get to it the warrior turned around and faced her, and the brilliant white light turned blood red. She still couldn't make out the person's features, only noticing that they had about the same length hair._ **

**" _Nisou Kyouran!" she heard an omnipresent voice say in an ominous tone. The warrior in front of her turned around as the light spread out to reveal the now dark meadow. The same voice she heard before was now speaking at a feverish and angered pace, but it was in another language and it was too mixed-up for her to understand._**

**_She realized that the warrior was facing the owner of the voice; the figure was taller than the warrior and judging by the voice, was a very pissed-off man. For a full minute the figure shouted at the warrior and made gestures that gave her the impression that what he was doing was intended to convince the stoic warrior._ **

**_Suddenly, her 3rd person perspective switched in a flash to the warrior's perspective. Now she was looking through the warrior's eyes and she could feel, smell and see what the warrior did, but she was still only a spectator since she couldn't will any type of action._ **

**_The warrior stood quiet and waited for the other figure, whom she still couldn't make out even at such close distance, to finish his rage-filled monologue, after which the warrior finally spoke. In a calm but commanding voice, Sofia found out that this warrior was in fact a woman. Unfortunately, she didn't understand what the woman was saying, but from her tone it sounded like she had rejected whatever offer the shadowed figure had made her. The figure growled a reply, and in an instant he attacked the warrior woman with a frenzied combo, which the woman furtively blocked. This only enraged the figure, so he tried to claw at her face, but she dodge just in time._ **

**_All of a sudden, the figure pulled back with something in his hand. The woman put her left hand on her throat, realizing that he had grabbed something when she had dodged his attack. The figure sneered at her and threw what he had grabbed by her feet. The woman looked down, letting Sofia see the necklace she had found._ **

**_The woman narrowed her eyes and snarled at the figure, who now began to speak. Sofia somehow knew that the figure was smirking from the faked severity and sadness his voice was conveying, and she could only make out the two last words, which he said with malice._ **

**"... _tsuin kyohaku."_**

**_Then in an instant, the figure fazed out and appeared in front of the woman. Before she could even move, the figure pulled back and rammed his clawed hand through the armor and out the other side, leaving his arm embedded up to the elbow in the woman's chest._ **

**_Sofia felt the intense pain flash across her mind, but she couldn't scream. She could taste the metallic blood that filled the woman's mouth, but all she could do was stare into the figure's cold, obsidian eyes, and feel his sickening lips as he kissed the woman and licked the blood from her lips. She also saw her vision, or the woman's vision, glaze over and black out_ **

**_The next thing she knew, she was watching as the figure pulled his arm free from the woman's chest, and let her lifeless body fall to the ground. Sofia stared at the woman's body, which was now lying in an increasing pool of dark red blood. She now could see the woman's countenance completely, and she gasped._ **

**" _She's me..." was her shocked remark as she looked at her twin. She noticed that the woman had her same features, with exception to her height and her eyes. The woman's eyes were half open, and Sofia saw that her eyes and pupils were blood red. The woman's attire also caught Sofia's attention. The warrior woman wore a dark gray feudal-style armor breastplate that started at her clavicle and ended at her midriff; it didn't have shoulder plates. Under the armor she wore a white, long sleeved and baggy gi ensemble with black sash and black, worn leather boots; it was now all stained by her own crimson blood. As she looked at the woman's figure, she caught sight of the necklace now by the woman's left side in the pool of blood. She thought about picking it up, but movement out of the corner of her eye stopped her._**

**_The shadowed figure had turned his back on the lifeless woman who he had called Nisou Kyouran, and bowed his head in what looked like agitated disappointment. Sofia put her sights on him, wanting to know just who the hell he was. She walked toward him with every intention of ripping his windpipe out, but the figure disappeared just as she was about to grab his shoulder."_ **

* * *

 

**Sofia's eyes flew open and the first thing she saw was Gohan's curious looking face not even 2 inches away from her own.**

**"ACK!" they both said from the sudden surprise.**

**Gohan stood up from his kneeling position while Sofia sat up on the couch.**

**"What the hell were you doing?!" Sofia snapped to a nervous Gohan.**

**"I was going to wake you up to let you know that breakfast was ready, and I saw that you were tossing and turning, and that you had a worried expression on your face...so...I..." he was cut off by Sofia, who was now standing and stretching out.**

**"So you thought I was having a bad dream and you were going to nudge me and see if my expression changed."**

**"Yeah! So, what were you dreaming about?" the half-Saiyan asked in a sincerely curious tone.**

**"Just some weird stuff," she answered, not wanting to get into detail since she didn't understand her dream's point.**

**"Well come on! Mom made pancakes and bacon. If you want to eat you better beat me to the kitchen," remarked Gohan with a playful grin.**

**"Is that a challenge, Saiyan?!" she mockingly replied.**

**"You bet!"**

**"Fine, but I don't see—Gohan! What's that at the window!" shouted Sofia. Gohan looked at the window to his right, giving her the head start she needed.**

**"What? Where—HEY! You cheated!" he cried out with fake urgency.**

**"Haha! Says who, kid. I just evened my odds against a half-Saiyan," replied Sofia as she sat at the table and put a simple helping of food on her plate.**

**Gohan walked in and sat across from Sofia, giving her a sly, all-knowing grin, which made her realize he was up to something. "What's with the face?" she asked, keeping her sight on Gohan as she poured syrup on her two pancakes.**

**"OH NOTHING. I just think this will be an interesting day, that's all!" he said with an over-the-top tone of innocence.**

**"Humph! What ever you say, kid."**

* * *

 

**At least a mile away, flying in the direction of Mt. Paozu, a certain stoic Namek pondered who the female he had seen Gohan spending time with the day before could be. He had been in the Arctic circle training and meditating in isolation, when early in the day he decided to go check up on his old pupil and friend. He sensed that he was at the pond nearby his house, so he went to surprise Gohan after such a long absence.**

**He hadn't expected to come across Gohan with a mysterious girl, whom he had never seen or heard Gohan speak of. 'Wonder who she could be,' remarked Nail, Piccolo's fused counterpart.**

**'The kid probably got himself a girlfriend,' he snorted, 'wonder if Chi-Chi approves,' was Piccolo's fun remark.**

**'I doubt that. The girl seems to be much older than Gohan,' Nail observantly retorted, not realizing that the other Namek's remark had been a wisecrack.**

**'Gee, I didn't notice. Thanks for pointing that out,' Piccolo sarcastically remarked.**

**Nail countered,** ' **Well how about you stop being a smart-mouthed knucklehead and sense her ki level already.'**

**Piccolo replied in a low menacing growl, 'Don't tell me what to do. I'm the one in charge here, got that?!'**

**'Yes, I'm quite aware of that, Piccolo. You don't need to get so worked up,' said Nail in an apathetic tone, then muttered in a low voice, ' Not like you can do anything more than threaten me.'**

**'What was THAT?!' replied Piccolo.**

**'Nothing! Nothing at all,' was the other Namek's answer.**

**'I thought so,' replied Piccolo, and went on trying to sense the young woman's ki level, but came across none. He shrugged it off and decided to visit Gohan the next day. _I'll just come back tomorrow; it's getting late anyway._ With that thought, he took off and headed for his own private waterfall for some meditation.**

**Now catching sight of the Son farm and home, he figured that whoever the girl was, she didn't seem to pose any threat, especially with her non-existent ki level. Little did he know that the certain female would be the one to unlock a long forgotten secret to his past, as well as her own.**

**She had just finished breakfast when Chi-Chi walked in, dressed and ready for a long day of chores.**

**"Gohan, you should get dressed and study if you want to hang out with Sofia the rest of the day. Just read chapter 19 of your Biology book, ok?" said Chi-Chi in a pleasant tone, not as commanding as yesterday.**

**"Ok mom," replied Gohan as he put his dirty glass and dish into the sink.**

**"Well, I guess I'll go and get dressed," said Sofia as she grabbed her backpack and sneakers to go change in the bathroom. She walked down the hall and passed Gohan as he walked into his room and shut the door. She walked into the bathroom and shut the door, and proceeded to look into her backpack for a change of clothes.**

**She pulled out her dark blue jeans and gray t-shirt with the words "Trouble Maker" on the back. She placed them on the vanity counter and proceeded to brush her teeth, wash her face, and use the bathroom. Then she took off the nightgown, put a bra and some deodorant on, and got dressed in her form-fitting attire. After tying her sneakers, she went to the mirror and combed her hair; pulled out her makeup bag and put on her red lipstick, which complimented her bronzed complexion. _Not bad at all_ , was her mental remark.**

**She then went on to putting away all her stuff and closing her backpack, folding the nightgown and placing it on the counter. Then she picked up the backpack and opened the bathroom door. As she walked out the bathroom and passed Gohan's room, she heard him talking to someone. Curious, she stood by the door and tried to listen in. The muffled conversation she heard was between Gohan and...the object of her animalistic lust.**

**"...she's really cool Piccolo, and very smart. She came up with the theory all by herself...and it does make a lot of sense," she heard Gohan remark in a factual tone, then continue, "She said that dad's going to come back real soon."**

**"I know kid, but don't you think it's a little far fetched? Maybe she's not telling the complete truth about how she knows all this information of what has happened," was Piccolo's stoic reply.**

**"I considered that, but if you think about it, a lot of what has happened to us is pretty far fetched too. And what other explanation could there be to what she knows? I don't think she's up to anything," was Gohan's lucid response.**

**"Humph... fine, I'll give her the benefit of doubt."**

**As the Namek of her dreams said that, Sofia couldn't help but swoon. Unfortunately, her swooning caused her to inadvertently hit the door with her left shoulder when she did a little victory dance and tripped on her backpack, which she had put by her feet. _DAMN YOU'RE SUCH A BAKA!_ she shouted in her mind for her own stupidity.  _It's a good thing I only act like a retard when I'm alone._**

**"Who is it?" came the question from inside the room.**

**_Might as well answer._ ** **"It's me," she said in her own stoic tone.**

**"OH, Sofia. Come in!" was Gohan's pleasant invitation. She opened the door and saw that Gohan was sitting on his bed, which was to her right, against the wall. To her far left was Piccolo who was leaning against the wall next to where Gohan's desk was.**

**As she looked at the handsome Namek, scenes from her past dream flashed in her mind. _Does he have something to do with my dream?_ She thought to herself, but immediately brushed it off for later scrutinizing. Gohan at this time leapt off of his bed and walked over to Sofia.**

**"Sofia, I'd like you to meet Piccolo. Piccolo, this is Sofia," Gohan introduced the once strangers, who gave each other an acknowledging nod.**

**After an awkward pause, Piccolo walked passed Gohan and stopped in front of Sofia, and went into his intimidation tactic. With complete straight-faced authority, he said, "So, this is the universal-know-it-all you've been telling me about," he snorted, "She doesn't look like much to me," and continued with a scoffed, challenging tone, "She probably fell through a mirror after putting that tacky necklace on." He finished off by crossing his arms and staring down at the 5''2 girl in front of him.**

**Sofia maintained a semblance of complete composure against Piccolo's obvious tactic, but in her mind she was raving like a mad schoolgirl. _OH MY GOD! Sexy-ass Piccolo is giving me the intimidating once over. He is sooooooooo HOT! Whatever You Do DON'T glomp him. Must, resist...resist GRABBING HIS ASS! She_ mentally hyperventilated. _OOH MAN! How I'd like to nibble on does ears...!_ She managed to tame her warped hormones long enough to answer the hidden challenge in Piccolo's remarks.**

**"I'd probably say the same thing, IF I had your fledgling mental dexterity. Your intimidation tactic is boring as it is played out. How about you try another way of proving how socially devoid you can be? I'm sure it would be fun to watch," said Sofia with a smug tone and a straight edge look that didn't falter as she crossed her arms and waited for the inevitable.**

**_Countdown to freak out in 3,2,1..._ ** **The look of utter surprise that had been on Piccolo's face after her verbal attack melted away, and was replaced by a look of pure rancor.**

**"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" roared through the house as the Namek glowered down at an apathetic Sofia.**

**"You'd think with those ears he would hear me the first time. I guess their only purpose is to frame that "enigmatic" face of yours," was her witty quip back. _I can't believe it! I'm verbally sparring with Piccolo. Wonder how long it will take him to heft me up by the shirt and threaten me. Hope I can run away fast enough if he explodes!_ was her energetic thought.**

**"Oh WOW..." was Gohan's overwhelmed remark as he waited for what his old sensei would do in reply.**

**Piccolo looked as if he was at a completely loss; like he had met the Antichrist and he didn't know what to make of it. He simply stared at Sofia, while he tried to figure out what she could possess that would give her the courage to be so pugnacious towards him. _She's either not intimidated by me whatsoever or she's hiding it VERY well. Either way, she has a death wish!_ was his agitated thought.**

**'Or maybe she just responds in the same manner that a person addresses her. After all, you did incite this verbal quarrel,' said Nail in a factual tone.**

**'I did NOT ask for your opinion Nail, so do me a favor... SHUT UP!' shouted Piccolo to the other Namek.**

**'Fine! But I suggest that you don't get carried away with this girl since you don't know what she is capable of. At least keep that in mind,' was Nail's last remark, to which Piccolo mentally grunted as an answer.**

**After realizing that Piccolo was just staring at her and that his ears were twitching in a cute way, Sofia decided to get another smart-mouth remark out. She looked at Gohan and gave him a goofy look, drawling, "I think I broke him."**

**The next thing she knew, Piccolo had grabbed her by the shirt and hoisted her up to eye level. She was now looking into two pools of onyx that burned as they stared into her own. _HOLY CRAP! I really pissed him off!_  was her mental remark as she looked at the Namek's infuriated face with a hint of discomfort on her features. **

**Piccolo's face was only an inch away from her own. He bared his fangs and in a dangerously low growl said, "The next time you EVER speak to me that way I won't hesitate to cut your tongue out! Do you understand me?!"**

**He was looking directly into Sofia's eyes, expecting for her to quiver in fear from his threat; he still had her by the shirt as he waited for her reaction. Instead of the fear he expected, Piccolo got a death glare back. _What in the...?_ he thought, baffled.**

**Sofia's expression changed from one of discomfort to an emotionless mask as she grabbed a handful of Piccolo's cape collar and pulled herself closer. She was now nose to nose with the wide-eyed Namek, who still had her by her own shirt. In a low purring voice she remarked, "You're one cute Namek when you're angry."**

**"Whaaaa...?" was his dumbstruck response as a huge sweat drop appeared on the side of his turban-clad head. Sofia wriggled out of his grasp and let go of his collar, while Gohan face-faulted to the floor and began to laugh in complete hysterics.**

**"Hahahahahahahaha—Oh man! That was awesome, Sofia. I thought he was going to kill you!" cackled the half-Saiyan as he began to hold his sides from the laughter.**

**"I couldn't help it! I thought it would be a good way to break the tension," she remarked to Gohan and gave a truculent smirk to the boy.**

**Piccolo finally snapped out of his trance and narrowed his eyes at Sofia as he shouted, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! No one has EVER spoken to me that way! What makes you think I won't beat you into oblivion for your disrespect?!"**

**Sofia defiantly looked Piccolo in the face and in a calm tone said, "First of all, I'm a woman who doesn't take shit from anybody, even if they CAN beat me into "oblivion." Second, GET OFF YOUR IVORY TOWER! You might be the intimidating Demon King who scares the crap out of the weaklings here but you DON'T scare me. And to answer your last question, YOU incited the disrespect as soon as I walked in, so it is only fair that I address you in the same manner until I receive the due respect I deserve."**

**Piccolo opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when Nail chimed in, 'She's right you know. I told you to not get carried away, but of course you never listen.'**

**'SHUT UP, NAIL!' yelled Piccolo to his fused counterpart, and then directed his full attention to the formidable antagonist in front of him. "Respect is something that is earned, not handed out like a cheap commodity," was his grumbled reply as he crossed his arms irritably.**

**Sofia cocked an eyebrow at his statement, and smugly replied, "I agree. That is why I don't plan on showing you any respect in the near future. Especially since you're being such a hypocrite." _Lets see what he says to THAT!_ she mentally remarked.**

**Piccolo narrowed his eyes at hearing this. He set his intense gaze on her and in a growl said, "I'm NOT being a hypocrite! You should shut your mouth before you say something you regret, or I might have to shut it for you!"**

**"Your powers of perception must be really fucked up if you can't comprehend that the immature remarks you've said caused this whole argument to begin with! The fact that you believe that you're the ONLY person who can be a smart-ass and that no one else can cross you is undeniable proof that you're being a hypocrite," Sofia fiercely stated, crossed her own arms irritably and added, "And as far as my mouth is concerned, I'd like to see you TRY to shut it for me, NAMEK!"**

**They both glared daggers at each other, but before anything else could be said, Gohan interjected between the two and nervously said, "Hey guys, I think you two proved that you don't take anything from anybody. How about a truce?" He finished off by making the peace sign.**

**Before either could answer, Chi-Chi walked into the room holding a laundry basket. "What's all the shouting about?!" she asked, but when she saw Piccolo she found her own answer. "What in Kami are you doing in here?! If you think you're taking Gohan out and getting him into trouble you have another—" her angry raving was cut off by Piccolo.**

**"Stop your shouting! I didn't come here to spar, I came to visit Gohan, and THIS," Piccolo pointed to Sofia, "girl started an argument," he stated matter-of-factly.**

**"I have a name, JERK OFF!" shouted Sofia directly into Piccolo's face.**

**"WOULD YOU TWO STOP!" shouted Gohan over the tirade, causing everyone to look at him. He then said in a sighing tone, "Mom, I'm going to walk Piccolo and Sofia outside, and I'll be back in a couple of minutes, Ok?" Chi-Chi nodded and turned to take the laundry basket to her bedroom.**

**"Um...Gohan, why are we going outside?" asked Sofia as she picked up her backpack and the three began walking towards the front door.**

**The half-Saiyan gave her a reassuring look as he said, "You two are going to hang out until I finish studying. It's very obvious that you should work out your differences if you're going to be friends."**

**Sofia raised an eyebrow at the kid's plan. _Yeah right! He thinks Piccolo is going to even speak to me after that! He's one optimistic kid._ She heard Piccolo grunt behind her and assumed he thought the same thing.  _We do have a lot in common. And even after all that, he's still one SEXY-ASS NAMEK,_ she thought and couldn't help but smirk.**

**They got to the front door and Gohan opened it and stepped outside, the others following his lead. When they got at least 20 feet away from the house, Piccolo's patience gave out. "Gohan! What the hell is this all about?" he asked with his perpetual scowl.**

**Gohan stopped and faced his best friend. With a coy smile, he said, "Oh, I just thought it would be better for you guys to continue "discussing" out here, since mom wouldn't be to happy to hear you guys cuss at each other in the house."**

**Sofia raised an eyebrow and said, "Humph...with that wise-ass smile on your face I suspect you're up to something, kid." Piccolo grunted in agreement.**

**"No—Really! Anyway, I got to get back inside," he said in a not-so-convincing tone as he began to walk back to the front door.**

**_If he does what I think he's going to do..._ ** **ran through Sofia's mind as she watched Gohan get to the door.**

**Gohan opened his front door, and before he went in, he turned around and said, "Hey Piccolo! Sofia does a great impression of you. You should ask her to show you."**

**"GOHAN!"**

**"Hahahaha—Sorry! I just couldn't resist!" he replied as he ran into the house and slammed the door.**

**_I'm going to beat his ASS!_ ** **was her agitated thought.**

**"Ahem," she looked back to see Piccolo with a raised brow ridge staring down at her. "What is he talking about?" his deep voice had a slightly curious tone to it.**

**Sofia's cheeks got a faint tint of blush, as she replied, "Nothing." Piccolo's gaze intensified on her, but he soon lost interest and went over to sit under the nearest tree lotus style and bowed his head. _Guess we're not going to get into deep conversation_ , she internally sighed.  _He's so hot_ , she thought pensively. **

**She couldn't help letting her eyes wander over his chiseled features, starting with his face and those delectable-looking lips of his. Then it was his sexy ears. Next she looked over his incredible arms, which were folded, and stopped at his hands; she always thought he had the gentlest yet powerful hands she had ever seen. _What I wouldn't give to be caressed by those hands,_ she mused to herself. E _ven his fingernails are sexy! We even have the same manicure,_  she thought goofily.**

**She began to picture him without the cape and turban, and thought it would be great to see him take them off and show off those pecs of his in real life, when she was jolted out of her mental gazing by a rumbling voice.**

**"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer." She snapped out of her thoughts and was met with Piccolo's trademark frown and intense gaze.**

**"Don't flatter yourself, Namek," was her petty remark as she walked by him and sat on the opposite side of the tree. _Smooth, Sofia, VERY smooth!_  she mentally shouted to herself. She heard Piccolo grunt and the rustling of his cape, which made her assume that he had adjusted his posture.  _I wonder what he's thinking about?_**

**'...maybe if you weren't so challenging she wouldn't have responded in such a harsh tone,' remarked Nail in a simple tone.**

**'Nail, maybe you don't understand... I DON'T CARE what she does or how she does it, just as long as she watches her tongue when speaking to me,' snarled Piccolo.**

**'Fine. But don't you think you should contact Kami and let him know about this girl Sofia? I mean, the facts of her being here should be cleared up,' said Nail.**

**'Listen, that old goat is the ALL-knowing guardian of the Earth. If he doesn't know about her by now, I don't see—' Piccolo was cut off by his original half himself.**

**'I do know of this strange girl's appearance, Piccolo. That is why I must ask you to bring her to me so that I can converse with her and find out more about her person,' said Kami, and added in a serious tone, 'Pretty good for an old goat, wouldn't you say?'**

**Piccolo grunted in agitation, and in an annoyed tone, groused, 'I'm not your delivery boy, old man! Just why should I waste my time doing YOU a favor?!'**

**The elder Namek went silent for a couple of seconds, then remarked in a coy tone, 'Well...I guess you could ask her yourself. After all, you managed to win her over with your charm. She could even hang around you the rest of the day.'**

**Nail snickered at Kami's well-chosen remark, which only aggravated Piccolo as he answered, 'ALRIGHT! Both of you can shut up...I'll take the pain in the ass to the Lookout.' He scowled and got up from his sitting position. _This is going to be sooo much fun!_  He mentally remarked as he prepared to get into the verbal tug of war with the strange girl sitting on the opposite side of the tree.**

* * *

 

**Ok, the last thing I was expecting when I had sat down and started twirling my hair was that Piccolo would even look at me, let alone speak to me after our earlier verbal scuffle. _Maybe I should apologize. After all, it's not like I'm mad at him or anything...he's just too hot for me to say anything rational to,_ I thought, and decided it would be suicide to show him that I had any feelings for him whatsoever. I closed my eyes and began to think of how I was going to get back at Gohan for his stunt, when something poked me hard on the head.**

**I looked over my right shoulder to see a very menacing-looking Piccolo glowering down at me as he pulled his left arm back and crossed it with his other over his wide chest.**

**"You could've just growled to make your presence known," I said a little annoyed as I rubbed the spot where he jabbed his clawed finger on the top of my head.**

**He narrowed his eyes at me and asked in his stoic tone, "Would you prefer for me to kick you upside the head next time?" I nodded no, "Then watch it! Now get up, I'm taking you somewhere."**

**I gave him a once over and said with a raised eyebrow, "Why should I trust that you won't take me somewhere and beat the snot out of me?"**

**At that, he gave me a small smirk and said, "As appealing as that sounds...I'm just going to take you to meet the omnipotent pain in my ass." As he said the last words, he narrowed his eyes and scowled.**

**_He's taking me to meet Kami! Maybe he'll know what the hell is going on,_ ** **I thought as I stood up and leaned back on the tree. I couldn't help but stare up into Piccolo's face, since the top of my head came up to his upper abdominal muscle, and say in my own stoic tone, "So we're going to Kami's palace in the sky. Fine, but I'm just going to tell Gohan what we're doing so he'll—"**

**I was cut off by Piccolo when he chimed in, "I already told the kid," he paused, then added, "No need to worry," he snorted, "I won't drop you." He said with a hint of amusement in his tone.**

**"Drop me? What are—yikes!" I shouted when Piccolo grabbed me by the waist and pinned me against his left hip. Out of instinct I wrapped my arms around his neck and glared at him as I incredulously asked, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"**

**"What does it look like I'm doing?! The only way up to the old fart's palace is by flying. Just relax and keep your mouth shut!" he grumbled in reply.**

**_HE DOESN'T KNOW I CAN FLY! Maybe I should tell him...YEAH RIGHT! Sexy Piccolo is going to carry me all the way to Kami's Lookout. I'm going to enjoy this,_ ** **I thought and swooned inwardly. I faked a worried expression and said, "Well...Ok."**

**"Feh...just hold on," he said casually, and in an instant we were in the air flying at break neck speed. The wind made my hair sway all over the place, including in my mouth; I placed my face in the crook of Piccolo's neck and in a muffled voice, barked,** " **Do you have to go so fast? I think I'm going to swallow my tongue!"**

**Piccolo grunted and in a smart-ass tone, quipped, "For you, that would be a BIG improvement. I want to get there and leave before I even see that old fossil."**

**I looked at him as he stared straight ahead into the afternoon horizon and asked in a sincerely curious tone, "Why do you hate Kami so much? I mean, after all the good you two have done, you'd think you would have made your peace."**

**Piccolo glanced at me sideways and looked straight again as he said, "Not that it's any of your business, but he and I don't get along, and the only reason we even speak to each other is when there's something big at stake. Nothing more."**

**"Considering you two are one half of the same being, it's a little ironic that you would have such rancor for each other," I stated casually. _They obviously spoke today, so I must be something of great interest,_  ran through my mind after his comment sunk in.**

**"Feh, what would you know about such matters!" he hissed more than said. I decided to shut my mouth for a little while and just take everything in. _Sigh...I'm in Piccolo's arms and we're flying to one of the coolest places I've ever seen. First thing I'm going to do is find out what the hell is going on, and see how Piccolo fits in with the necklace and that fucked up dream!_  I paused. _Christ, what is the matter with me?!_ I snapped myself out of my mental monologue and realized my face was only inches away from Piccolo's neck. I inhaled silently through my nose and took in his scent, which was a mix of desert, rain and his musky sweat. Let's just say his scent really appealed to my sense of smell.  _Jeez, control yourself, woman!_  I shouted at myself before I did anything else that would get me caught...like kissing a trail up to his ear and nibbling of his earlobe or something!**

**Before I knew it, Korin's Tower came into view. I was completely mesmerized by the sheer magnitude of the place, and couldn't believe I was actually flying towards it. "Damn..." I said in a zoned out tone, which got a goofy look from Piccolo. I tried to keep a straight, stoic face, but that look he gave me was just too cute. I grinned at him and snickered, "You're right. If I had a camera I could've taken a picture of that goofy look you're giving me."**

**Unfortunately, he didn't seem to agree with me, cuz out of nowhere he started ascending to the top of the Lookout at incredible speed, causing me to basically choke on my own saliva. We shot through a puffy cloud and landed on the tiled Lookout. I was having a coughing fit from his little stunt and next thing I knew my ass hit hard floor.**

**"JESUS! What the hell did you THAT for?!" I shouted after getting my coughing under control at the Namek looming over me.**

**He gave me a glare, and in a scoffed tone, snarled, "I could've backhanded you in the mouth for what you said, but instead I decided it would be more amusing to drop you on your ass and watch you choke on your own tongue." He looked away and crossed his arms. I picked myself up and stood next to him, dusted myself off and tamed my wind-blown hair.**

**"Considering you said you wouldn't drop me..." I muttered as I stuck my hair up in a bun. He grunted and turned around to walk over to the Lookout edge. "What are you doing?" I asked, to which he turned around and glared at me.**

**"I said I would drop you here and leave. Which part didn't you understand?!"**

**I narrowed my eyes and was getting ready to tell him off, but I was stopped when a benevolent-sounding voice chimed in, "Piccolo. I think it would be best if you stayed." I turned around to see Kami walking over with Mr. Popo close behind.**

**"Oh great. YOU had to open your mouth and stall me from leaving!" Piccolo grumbled and glared at me.**

**I rolled my eyes at him and in a snapped acerbically,** " **How about you stop acting like a BITCH for 5 minutes and just hang around? Whatever Kami and I find out from each other could be of importance to you."**

**Piccolo walked back over and stood in front of me; lowered himself to eye level with me and poked me in the chest as he said in a snarl, "Your smart mouth is going to get you blasted if you keep speaking to me that way!"**

**I narrowed my eyes and growl low, "I think you should get out of my face before I give you a real reason to go through with your idle threats!" I couldn't believe that I was actually getting really pissed off. All at once, my head started throbbing and I felt this incredible heat rising throughout my body.**

**"Oh really. I fail to see how you'll be able to do anything, you puny little bitch!" Piccolo gave me a fangy smirk as he said this right in my face. This pushed me over the proverbial edge. I felt the heat rising through my body start to tingle down my arms. It was that tingling feeling you get when your arm falls asleep, only instead of going up my arm, the prickling sensations were going down my arms and getting more intense as they got to my palms.**

**_What the hell is going on_ ** **... I thought as the throbbing in my head was hitting its peak and all at once stopped. I felt my blood pulsate, like whatever energy I had in my body was starting to swirl in my bloodstream. I had my hands balled up into fists, and my nails were digging into my palms. The pendant of the necklace was pressed against my chest. I felt this sharp, tingling feeling spike through my chest and leave me with this burning sensation. Then it just clicked in my head.**

**I looked right into Piccolo's eyes and said in a low, menacing voice, "Get ready for me to ram those words down your fucking throat, Namek!"He was about to reply, but he finally realized that he felt intense heat against his chest. He looked down and saw my hands pressed flat over his chest glowing crimson red. I'll never forget the look he gave me...it was something like eyes going to dinner plates with pinpoint pupils while his mouth hung open...I can laugh at it now, but in that moment I was hell bent on getting him back.**

**I began to form a flaming-hot ki ball in the palms of my hands, which were still pressed against his chest. Piccolo gave me an aghast look, and said, "How can you use ki?! I can't sense any ki from you!"**

**I gave him a devilish smirk and purred, "That's one of the things I need to ask Kami about. Thanks for reminding me."**

**His expression changed from utter shock to one of overt anger. He narrowed his eyes at me, and in a challenging tone, taunted, "You don't have the guts to go through with this."**

**I pressed the ki ball into his ribs and said in the same challenging tone, "Try me!" He growled, not wanting to show that what I was doing actually hurt, but by the smell of burning cloth and flesh, I knew what effect my action was having.**

**Before I could discharge the sphere, Kami came between us, so I immediately let the ki die and shrink back into my palms. "Please! Both of you should make your peace, and cease your quarreling," he said and looked at both of us, then focused on me and in a pleasant tone, mused, "I am glad that you decided to visit and converse with me, child."**

**I stepped away from Piccolo, who had a singed whole in the middle of his gi shirt (the skin that had gotten burned was already healing), not forgetting to give him a dirty look before I did, and faced Kami as I said as respectfully as I could, "It is an honor to meet the guardian of Earth, even under these circumstances." I extended my left hand and he extended his right for a respectful handshake.**

**"We have much to speak of, Sofia. Let us go somewhere private so we can clear any doubts or curiosities that you have," said Kami as he placed his right hand on my back. I heard a faint grunt behind me and I turned my head to see Piccolo gawking at the both of us.**

**"If you're going to stay, at least go get yourself a glass of water...you look a little dehydrated from the verbal beat down I gave you," I remarked smugly, and added, "shouldn't you get that fixed?" I pointed to his shirt.**

**Piccolo clenched is jaw and gave me a murderous look, but before he could say anything, Mr. Popo got up the nerve to address him. " _Would_ you like a cold glass of water? I could bring it to you while you find a comfortable place to rest." Piccolo's expression settled into a stoic, emotionless mask as he nodded yes to the genie's offer. He snapped his fingers and in a flash the whole in his shirt was gone.**

**I looked back at Kami and he gave me a very coy smirk as he said, "You have a VERY fiery spirit," he then added casually as we started to walk across the immense courtyard leading to the palace entrance, "I can see why he likes you."**

**_HOW WHO LIKES ME?_ ** **was my astonished mental question. I looked over at Kami, and as if to answer my question he said, "No one has ever stood up to Piccolo in the manner that you've been doing. You seem not to be intimidated by him whatsoever...and that intrigues him. Not as much as you're intrigued by him, but I think that could change."**

**I felt like I was blushing from my forehead down. "Guess that's why you're the Kami of Earth...nothing gets by you," I remarked with a little amusement in my tone.**

**"You could say that," he smirked and continued, "But some things do elude me. Yourself and your origin being some of those things." As he said this, we finally were in front of the palace doors, which opened by themselves.**

**"I know what you mean...I hope you could help me figure some things out, and in return I'll confess some of the aspects of my being here, and how I know everything I do," I stated as placidly as I could.**

**The elder Namek nodded in agreement and made a gesture of invitation as he said,** " **All in good time I hope. Please come in, we can go to the tea room so you can tell me your story, and I will try my best to fill in the blanks."**

**I nodded, and stepped into the palace. I followed Kami down an immense hall and past many huge doors and pillars, until he stopped in front of two mahogany doors. He opened the doors to reveal a lavish tearoom, including a circular antique wooden table with a matching pair of chairs and beautiful pillows that matched the styles of the curtains in the room. The walls were draped with curtains colored in pleasant earthy tones and the marble floor was covered by a plush carpet. There was a tastefully decorated chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, which provided the light needed to iluminate the room. As we stepped in I could only think of one thing. _I'm having a teatime with Kami-sama... this should be interesting._**


	4. The Obsession Continues

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_  " _Dream_ "**

**Interesting indeed. I told Kami the whole story, from the hole my dog dug up, to the weird dream I had the night before. I even confessed to how I knew about what had and would happen in his dimension. I explained to him that his entire realm and timeline, from start to finish, was a hugely popular anime series that has been seen all over my world, and that he and the rest of the Z Warriors are household names.**

**I know, you probably think it was cruel of me to tell him, but I figured that as Kami of Earth he should know the whole truth, and anyway, he took it pretty well.**

**After my explanation, I folded my arms over my chest, crossed my legs, and leaned back into the chair. "So, um... are you ok with everything I've just told you?" I asked in a business-like tone.**

**"Well...it is a lot to take in, but I am quite alright," he said and gave me a reassuring smile.**

**I gave a long sigh. "That's good. So, do you have any idea of how the box, the necklace, and that messed-up dream could have something to do with Piccolo?"**

**He leaned forward and poured himself a cup of tea; Mr. Popo had brought the tea shortly after I began my explanation. After pondering his answer, he finally responded.**

**In a flat tone, he mused, "I am not quite sure what significance Piccolo might have in this," he paused, took a sip from his cup, and continued, "but from what you've told me about the box that contained the necklace, and the abilities you acquired after putting the object on leads me to speculate that not only are the box and necklace indigenous from my realm, but also that however they got to your realm, you were intended to find them."**

**"But why me?" was my tense question.**

**"Why not you?" he said and continued, "The box found you, just as the necklace found you. I am pretty sure that you were...perhaps destined to wear the necklace. I even wager that you would not be able to take it off."**

**I looked at him skeptically while I reached the back of my neck to try and take the necklace off, but as he said, I wasn't able to.**

**"What the hell..." I said shocked, then continued a little agitated, "you're saying I was destined to get this necklace...how am I supposed to find out about its origins? Just continuing to have those psychotic dreams?!"**

**The elder Namek thought about what I had said. His expression changed from a thoughtful one to one that seemed to profess self-satisfaction when he came up with a resolution. "If the necklace is indigenous from my realm as I suspect, then there must be records or legends about it, or maybe a past owner," he paused and gave me a small smirk, "and as Kami of Earth, I have access to all such records and legends that have been stored in the Lookout's library."**

**"The Lookout has its own library? Jeez, what doesn't this place have," I said in an over-the-top tone.**

**At this Kami chuckled; then stood up from his chair. I also stood up as he said, "We shall go to the library and research the origins of your necklace. Perhaps what we find about it could help some of our collective doubts."**

**I nodded and followed Kami as he led us out of the tearoom and down the immense hall. We walked towards the northeast of the palace and came across a flight of stairs. We took those stairs and came in front of two enormous doors. Both doors opened inwardly (I think because of Kami's presence), and we stepped inside.**

**_HOLY CRAP_ ** **! The room we had just stepped into was about the equivalent of 3 football fields; the ceiling was at least 100 feet up and at the 4 top corners of the ceiling were these archway style windows that reminded me of Catholic church-style windows; they were the only source of light for the incredible library. On each side of the room, against the walls, were these tall bookcases that went as high as the ceiling and shot across the entire room until the far end, which was parallel from where we had come in. At least 20 feet from the doors we had come through was what looked like a marble mantel/podium.**

**I just stared at the bookcases, which were filled from bottom to top with everything from books and encyclopedias, to scrolls and stone tablets, all perfectly organized.**

**"Kami. How the hell are we supposed to find what we're looking for in all of this?!" I asked wide-eyed.**

**The all-knowing elder Namek simply smirked and walked past me. He stopped in front of the podium and faced me; in a casual tone, but with a genuine smile, he replied, "It is very simple. You stand on this podium - as so, and you request a specific item, legend, or genre and the knowledge that pertains to your request shall appear on the top of the mantel."**

**"That is very cool," I said and smirked back at him.**

**Kami gestured for me to come over and stand by him. I walked over and stood on his left. _Now all we have to do is ask for the right thing_ , I thought to myself. I felt a hand on my right shoulder and looked back; Kami stepped off the podium and said, "When you make your request, try using your mind's eye to show specifically what you're looking for."**

**I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're letting me do it? I thought only you had this privilege."**

**"As Kami I have given you that privilege," he paused and continued reassuringly, "Do not worry. You're completely capable of doing this. Just focus on what you are requesting and you will receive the knowledge."**

**"If you say so," I muttered and stepped onto the podium.**

**I closed my eyes and using my mind's eye, pictured my necklace, the box it came in, and the hole in my backyard with the roses in it. Then I thought of the woman in my dream. I focused on trying to remember the woman's name, thinking it could help specify my request.**

**"Nisou Kyouran," I said in a whisper.**

**After a couple of minutes I opened my eyes, and on the mantel was a single scroll. The scroll was at least a foot long and it was wrapped tightly with a red silk ribbon.**

**"Whoa!"**

**I picked up the scroll and looked towards Kami who was standing behind me.**

**"Pretty good for my first try...that's all I've needed lately," I said and gave him a smirk.**

**He returned my rare friendly gesture and gave me a small smile, and then his expression became more serious as he asked, "Who is Nisou Kyouran?"**

**"She is the woman I saw in my dream. Why do you ask?"**

**"It is just...I'm not certain but, the name sounds familiar," he said perplexed.**

**"Humph. Well," I started to unravel the ribbon from the scroll, "lets just see what knowledge I will receive," I remarked flatly.**

**I got the ribbon off and placed it on the mantel. Then I unrolled the scroll, it was pretty long when fully unraveled and it looked to be hundreds of years old. I began to look over the writing and realized it was in Namekian. _I know it's Namekian cuz I remember that episode when Bulma finds the spaceship that she modifies to go to Namek; the symbols are the same_ , I mentally remarked.**

**"Kami, could you read this for me?" I asked and handed him the scroll.**

**"Of course." He looked over the writing and his expression changed to one of confusion.**

**"What's wrong?"**

**"This is in my handwriting..." he paused and continued, "I do not remember ever writing this."**

**_Weeeiiird_ ** **, I thought to myself, _This is getting really irritating_. "Well not to be impatient but...what does it frigging say?!"**

**Kami was reading the scroll and he had it lifted so it covered his face, so I didn't see if he got annoyed with me or not. After an awkward pause, he began to translate out loud what the scroll said.**

**"It is dated over 286 years ago. A full-blooded demon had died the day this was written; she had been adopted by a priestess village 4 years prior to her death. The high priestess of the village had found her on the outskirts of a forbidden forest, bundled up in a blood-stained blanket; an onyx necklace with a bloodstone pendant was the only possession she was found with, and the first clue that allowed the priestess to know she was a demon. The priestess adopted the child as her own and raised her to be a priestess warrior, whom would dedicate her life and existence to slaying the evil beings that a century before had begun to terrorize the provinces and villages of the country. The child grew 5 times faster than a human child and by her 4th birthday, she was a mature 20 year-old female demon with long dark hair, crimson eyes, and an unbelievable hidden fury; this last fact contributed to her name, Nisou Kyouran—Priestess Fury. In her short life she had purged most of the evil that had begun to consume Japan. It was believed that she was the last of her demon race, a race of very powerful demons who could regenerate to the point of being invincible and who were virtually immortal. It was also legend that her fury had been subdued by the goodness that she was taught, and that her subdued fury was housed in the bloodstone of her necklace, which she was never seen without until the day of her death..." Kami paused and shut his eyes as if a wave of pain had flooded his mind.**

**"Kami, what is it?" I asked and put my right hand on his left shoulder.**

**"I am not sure, child...it is as if a painful memory is trying to resurface, but my mind is unable to bring it forth." He opened his eyes and returned my comforting gesture with a sincere smile.**

**I sat down on the podium step and crossed my legs, placing my elbows on my knees and holding my face in my hands. _A lot of info to process, but it is making sense_ , I thought.**

**"Hummm...is that the whole story?" I asked and looked up at the elder Namek.**

**"There is a little more," he paused and continued in a steady and leveled tone, as before, where he left off. "...Kyouran had been destined to find her "tsuin kyohaku", or twin star; this being would have been created into existence the exact instance as she. Her twin star would have been the person that she was destined to spend eternity with...instead," he paused, lowered the scroll, and continued, "her twin star was the only being capable of killing her. And so he did."**

**I looked at Kami in awe, realizing that in my dream I witnessed this woman being killed. _Twin star...that means her gemini equal. Her soulmate killed her!_  I thought, amazed at the magnitude of fucking weird I was stuck in.**

**"Does it say who her twin star was?!" I asked trying to hide my amazement, with no such luck. Kami looked at me and simply shook his head.**

**"All of it still doesn't explain how the hell I came to have this necklace," I muttered, extremely perplexed.**

**"There is still a small fragment I haven't read," he said calmly.**

**I thought I was going to have a stroke. _The suspense is driving me up the FUCKING WALL!_  I shouted in my mind. "Well out with it already! I feel like I'm going to have an aneurysm from all the suspense," I remarked and crossed my arms.**

**Kami gave me a funny look, and became the 3rd person to make me almost dive to the floor when he remarked, "Your demeanor and attitude is so much like Piccolo's it is frightening, child."**

**I got a huge sweat drop on my head, and yelled, "WHAT THE HELL! WOULD YOU JUST READ WHAT'S LEFT ON THAT STUPID SCROLL BEFORE I HANG MYSELF FROM THE ANXIETY?! Jeez!"**

**Kami only stared at me after my outburst, like if he had seen people act like that everyday. He wasn't fazed at all. "No need to lose your head, child. I was only making an observation," he said in a calm tone and unrolled the scroll to the end so he could find where he left off.**

**I felt my right eye twitch from the stress this benevolent being had put me through. _Now I understand how Piccolo can lose it when he's around Kami,_  I thought, irritated. I got up and controlled my mental hemorrhaging long enough to walk to his side and say, "You are one UNIQUE God, you know that!"**

**Kami looked at me and snorted. "You are very unique yourself, Sofia," he said, then looked at the end fragment and continued, "The last part pertains to a legend about Kyouran's necklace. It says that the necklace was taken after her death by her twin star and buried in a mystical ceremony. The purpose for such ceremony was to ensure that once Kyouran's soul reincarnated itself into a new being, she would be destined to come across the necklace and realize her true potential. She would also reunite with her twin star and spend eternity with him as she was originally intended."**

**"So...if that legend is true, that would make me—'' I cut myself off. My mind's thoughts were jumbled up, and I couldn't fathom if what was going on could be explained by this old-ass scroll.**

**Kami put his hand on my shoulder and finished my sentence. "—the reincarnation of Nisou Kyouran."**

**"I can't believe this...I'm the reincarnation of a 300 year-old demon/priestess warrior who was murdered by her soulmate. Fucked up," I stated in a monotone.**

**"That is the basic notion," remarked Kami as he put the scroll back on the mantel.**

**"That explains everything. The flying, making ki balls and sensing ki, the reason it all felt so familiar and natural to do was because...it was," I said and looked at the pendant, which was over my shirt and shinning in the light coming through the windows.**

**Kami took the pendant into his hand and let it rest on his palm, as his other hand came up to tilt my face upwards so I could look into his eyes as he said, "I believe that you are here to unlock more about yourself. The factors that allowed you to cross into this realm are somewhat shrouded, but I speculate that over time, you will be able to bring such factors into understanding."**

**I nodded and said, "I still don't see what the hell Piccolo has to do with this. Hopefully I'll figure it out before it drives me crazy." Kami looked away from me and nodded, then he let go of my pendant and face. He stepped away as if deep in thought and a little worried.**

**I was about to ask him what was wrong, but he beat me to the punch when he turned around and said, "I hope you plan on staying in this realm. I do not mean to worry you, but I find it would be for the best if you stayed here and trained your body and mind, so that you may realize your true potential."**

**I gave him an inquisitive look and asked, "What does realizing my true potential mean anyway?"**

**"It refers to unlocking your inner abilities and transforming into the actual being you are meant to be. I think that besides what you're capable of doing now, you have other powers that remain untapped," he paused, then asked, "What did you feel when you created that energy ball meant for Piccolo's hide?"**

**I smirked at the memory of Piccolo's face when I made the energy ball (again, it was something like cartoonish shock), and began to remember. "It was different from the first time I made a ki ball with Gohan. I felt this intense anger towards Piccolo, and all at once I felt a change throughout my body. It was like heat coursing through my veins that ended up in the palms of my hands. Then, when it reached an unbearable point, I opened my hands and formed the ki, like if I knew how to do it all along," I stated and cocked an eyebrow after seeing Kami's expression once again changed.**

**I swear I could forget that he was Piccolo's other half considering the extreme difference between the both of them. Besides being the complete opposite of Piccolo, Kami has a little trouble (in my opinion) with hiding what he is thinking, especially when it came to my whole mess.**

**The elder Namek looked at me with a grave expression and said, "That means that your untapped potential will be triggered mainly by your emotional changes, whether it be anger, pain, or any other intense emotion. You must take great care with such emotions, because they could overload and spring forward your full potential all at once...I am not sure what type of consequences such occurrence could have on you."**

**I looked at him and replied in a calm tone, "But over time, I will acquire changes physically," he nodded yes, so I continued, "How am I supposed to stay here? Where would I train?"**

**Kami pondered my question and closed his eyes, as if in deep concentration. "I think that most of your physical changes will occur as you pass through our dimensional line," he paused and opened his dark pools, "the only way for you to stay here and be able to work on unlocking your potential, and still travel through our dimensional line is to use The Room of Spirit and Time."**

**My jaw dropped at the mention of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. _How does he expect me to survive in there?_  I thought. As if to answer my question, the elder Namek continued.**

**"Since Piccolo obviously has some sort of link to what is going on, unconsciously or not, I believe you both should enter the chamber for one full day. This will allow you the needed time and ability to train," he said in a casual tone.**

**"Kami, don't you think that is, oh I don't know...FREAKING INSANE?! It is obvious that Piccolo would rather be caught dead wearing a pink dress than being locked into a chamber to an endless void with me," I stated with an exaggerated tone, then continued, "and anyway, how will I be able to cross our dimensional line, since the chamber doesn't have that line?"**

**Kami smirked at my choice words, then stated in a factual tone, "Your being originally of a different realm from this one, the chamber will register this anomaly and balance it out by creating our dimensional line." He paused and rubbed his chin as he thought out loud with a coy smile, "I do not believe Piccolo will turn down an offer for training with you in the chamber...IF you make it clear that you know in advance about a quickly approaching battle."**

**I gave him a wide smile and said, "You never cease to amaze me," I paused and thought for a moment. "Fine, I'll go for that plan, but I will have to stop for some supplies from my realm, is that ok?"**

**"Yes, that is fine. It will allow for Mr. Popo and myself to prepare the chamber for you and your…roommate," he said in an amused tone.**

**"Oh, this is going to be sooo much fun," I said in a mock enthusiastic tone and paused. "I guess he will probably accompany me around today, right?"**

**Kami nodded and said, "It would be best for you two to stick together. Perhaps you might learn more from each other."**

**When he said this, I rolled my eyes and sighed.**

**"All I have to do now is talk to the mentally-frugal Namek and see if he'll go for it," I muttered to myself and followed Kami out through the enormous doors we had come in from.**

**We walked back down the way we had come from, and ended up in the immense hall heading back to the palace entrance. _Stuck an entire year in the chamber with a bitchy Piccolo...not bad, especially if I get to molest him visually_ , I mentally giggled.  _God, what will this be for me?_  I was pulled out of my pondering when I caught sight of the edge of Piccolo's left shoulderpad and some of his cape from behind one of the marble pillars that were just by the palace entrance.**

**_Speak of the delicious Namek, hope I can pull this off_ ** **, was my enthusiastic -yes, enthusiastic- thought as we neared the pillar shielding the delectable Piccolo.**

**I walked ahead of Kami and began to tip toe as I got nearer to Piccolo, who was in the lotus position with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. I leaned forward so I would be only an inch away from his left ear. I looked back at Kami, who seemed to know what I intended to do...and was all for it; at least that's what his expression told me. I held my breath and checked to see if Piccolo had sensed my presence, _He can't sense you, baka. Just go for it_ , I told myself and raised my left hand to his ear.**

**I took my middle finger and thumb, and flicked his ear as hard as I could. His deep, guttural shout echoed throughout the palace. The angry Namek jumped to his feet and slammed me against the pillar (it didn't hurt...too much); he seemed to just realize that I was the malicious flicker, since he narrowed his eyes and bared his fangs.**

**"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR YOU SPYCHO BITCH!"**

**"I just thought it would be amusing to see you get some of your own shit, Namek. Now if you unhand me," I squirmed in his grasp, "maybe I could give you a worthwhile proposition," I stated as casually as possible, considering the circumstance.**

**"Ahem." We both looked to the side at an amused Kami, who gestured for Piccolo to let go of me. He let go and stepped 2 feet away from me. I slightly rubbed my upper right arm, since he practically dug his nails into the skin there.**

**Kami walked towards us and stopped so he was sort of between us, to avoid a repeat of what had just occurred. Piccolo glared daggers at me as he crossed his arms over his wide, sexy chest. "What sort of proposition does this deviant bitch have for me, old man?!" was his snide question.**

**I simply leaned back on the pillar and let Kami layout the initial plan. "Sofia has told me of an approaching battle, and she wishes to use The Room of Spirit and Time so that she may train her newly developing powers so that she may assist in the battle," said Kami in a simple tone.**

**Piccolo cocked an eye ridge and in a slightly annoyed tone, drawled, "And what's that have to do with me?"**

**I crossed my arms over my chest and took over. "I _need_  someone to train with in the chamber, and since you're the only guy around with nothing to do I figured you would accept the chance for a free year's training in a single day."**

**Piccolo narrowed his eyes at my comment and grumbled, "What makes you think I have nothing better to do than to be stuck with you for an entire year? I have more important things—"**

**I cut him off. "The battle will occur in a matter of days. I don't feel like wasting my time with you," I stated indifferently, then continued in a harsh tone, "You either agree to the offer or you can go fuck yourself." At this last line I casually walked out through the palace doors, leaving Piccolo with a look of pure sadistic anger as he stood there and clenched his jaw.**

**_After that, he'll agree to murder just to spite me_ ** **, I thought as I got halfway down the courtyard towards the edge. I ran into the Lookout's genie as I rounded a flower patch.**

**"Oh hello, we didn't get to be introduced. I'm Mr. Popo," said the pleasantly smiling genie.**

**As I was about to introduce myself, I was cut off by a warning shout from behind me. I turned around to see Piccolo— and Kami a few paces behind— stalking over to me with a look that said he planned on strangling me.**

**"Oh my..." commented the genie now next to me, and continued, "You do have a knack for infuriating Piccolo, don't you?"**

**"I make it my sole duty to piss that green bitch off," I remarked in a smug tone. "Anyway, I'm Sofia."**

**The genie nodded in acknowledgement and began to step away from me as Piccolo came closer.**

**Kami had caught up to him and I could hear him say in a low tone, "Please do not lose your temper, Piccolo. She is a fiery young woman who does not mean any real harm."**

**Piccolo stopped in front of me and simply glowered at me, as if his mind was trying to come up with the perfect way for inflicting the right amount of torture on me that would satisfy him fully. Kami grabbed his arm as if to pull him away from me, but Piccolo shrugged his hand away.**

**Without taking his piercing eyes off of me, he growled, "Stay out of this, old man! No one speaks to me that way, and this sharp tongued bitch is going to learn that the hard way!" Piccolo was going to reach for my neck, but I pressed my opened left palm against his abdomen and formed a hot ki ball, which made him desist in his action and growl at me.**

**"I don't think that would be the best idea, Namek. After all, if we're going to be roommates, we should at least act civil towards each other. Don't you think?" I said in a condescending tone, to which Piccolo snarled. "Now. I'm going to Capsule Corp. for some business and then it's off to go through a mirror and enter my dimension for some supplies. If you want to tag along it is fine with me," I said in my normal, cool tone with my palm still against his stomach.**

**"I haven't agreed to shit! And I'm not your escort; I don't intend to haul your ass around to your planned destinations," he remarked in an acid tone.**

**"Piccolo! I suggest you agree to the plan. It will be beneficial for the both of you to train together because of the circumstances. You should go with her for her errands so that Popo and I could prepare everything for your return," Kami stated emphatically.**

**Piccolo turned his head to eye the elder Namek suspiciously. He then asked in a judging tone, "Why are you so for this stupid arrangement?! You're not telling me the whole story old man, and I don't intend to agree to anything until I know what's really going on."**

**Kami narrowed his eyes, and to ALL of our surprise, shouted, "DAMN IT PICCOLO! Can't you get it through that thick skull of yours that there is something at stake here and that this isn't the time for your characteristic, challenging, moronic demeanor?! Just do what she suggests and keep your infernal mouth shut!"**

**"Whoa...GO KAMI!" I cheered on the elder Namek, who just blushed from his public outburst.**

**Piccolo's wide-eyed expression faded away, and he switched to that stone cold countenance as he grumbled, "Fine. I'll go along with this shit, but I want the whole story, old man."**

**"Fine." Kami went on to tell him the cliffnotes of what was going on, leaving out the anime thing, some of what was on the scroll, and my assumption over Piccolo's mystery connection to everything. So, he basically told him that my necklace would unlock my untapped powers during training and that I would physically change.**

**During Kami's monologue, Mr. Popo and I walked over to the nearest edge of the Lookout, where he told me he would get everything ready before we returned and that he would have something for me to eat before we entered the chamber.**

**"Thanks Mr. Popo, that would be great." I paused and continued, "I just hope that we won't kill each other in there."**

**"Oh, I think that once you two warm up to each other you'll get along just fine," he said and smiled.**

**"Hopefully."**

**As I said this, Kami and Piccolo finished their chat and walked over to where I had gone to sit during their conversation near the Lookout edge. Piccolo gave me a wary look as he asked, "What's going to happen in this "approaching" battle?"**

**I stood up and in a calm tone said, "I can't tell you that. It could have dire consequences to your timeline."**

**He grunted in annoyance and stated, "Some help you'll be. What CAN you spare from this privileged knowledge of yours?"**

**"Just one thing...Frieza's going to come for a "productive" visit." When I said this, a look of surprise flashed in Piccolo's expression, but quickly changed to one of hate.**

**"I thought Goku killed that fucking lizard!" was his growled comment.**

**"He had the chance to finish him off but he didn't. Namek was about to blow so he had to haul ass out of there, leaving the very feminine Ice-jin to be found by his fruitier father," I explained in a cool tone.**

**Piccolo growled in rage and looked at Kami. "I guess I have no choice but to go along with this," he paused, and then looked at me. "I don't intend to take anymore of your shit. If you even look at me funny, I'll make sure that you don't survive long enough for anything…" he crossed his arms and gave me a dirty look, adding with a biting tone, "puny little bitch."**

**_I am QUITE fucking fed up with him calling me a BITCH_ ** **, I mentally remarked.**

**"I'd rather be a fucking bitch than a dick-less green slug!" I stated in an acid tone and narrowed my eyes.**

**Piccolo was about to go at me when Kami came between us. "No more of this nonsense! You will NOT carry on with this foolishness, do the both of you understand me?!" he said and gave both me and Piccolo a stern look. We both irritably nodded our heads. "GOOD." He said this and then directed to Piccolo, "Just go to where she says, let her acquire what she needs, then come back. Is that understood?"**

**Piccolo gave him a challenging look, and then said as he looked over at me, in a condescending tone, "I guess this is another babysitting job. At least Gohan was independent and not such a hassle," he paused then continued, "I'm going to have to take care of you like the insipid little girl you are."**

**When he said that, my blood began to boil, and I immediately wanted to get him back. Then I got a perfect idea.**

**I back stepped as close to the Lookout edge I could possibly get without falling off. Kami was lecturing Piccolo about being more courteous towards me and Piccolo was rolling his eyes, so neither of them noticed what I was doing. I adjusted my backpack so it would stay tight on my shoulders, and then in a smug voice shouted,"Hey Piccolo!"**

**Kami looked at me inquisitively while Piccolo scowled and looked at me as he shouted, "WHAT?!"**

**I gave him a wide smirk and said, "CATCH." I leaned backwards and pushed off the Lookout edge.**

**As I started to fall I heard Piccolo shout in utter surprise, "FUCKING SHIT!", and then all I heard after that was the cool air swooshing by me as I plummeted at top speed to the earth thousands of miles below.**

**Ok, you might think I'm a fucking loon, but I actually thought out this little stunt. Since Piccolo was ignorant to the fact that I could fly, I figured that jumping off the Lookout would make him piss on himself, and would be the ultimate revenge for his infernal bitching. My plan was to see if he would actually jump down after me and try and save me before I was supposed to hit the ground. Also, I've ALWAYS wanted to dive off the Lookout edge and free fall in the open air, then pull up and continue flying, just like I've seen the guys do on the show.**

**I was falling fast and the adrenaline was the only thing that kept me from freaking out; it felt like I was on a roller coaster diving straight down, so my stomach got that queasy feeling that made me want to scream, but I managed to contain the urge. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Piccolo was at least 10 feet behind me, and that the look on his face was very unreadable. I looked ahead of me and saw Korin's Tower getting closer in view. _I'm at least half way down. Just a little more..._  I thought with determination as my mind was on a complete adrenaline high.**

**I decided to stick my arms to my sides so that I would shoot down faster, which made Piccolo freak. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" was his muffled shout to me.**

**I ignored him and concentrated on boiling up my ki. I felt the unusual wave flowing through my body and that dormant heat rise and swirl into my bloodstream. I passed the tower, and saw that the ground was about 2,000 feet away and that I was passing some puffy clouds. I looked back and Piccolo was getting pretty close, to the point that his hand was an inch away from being able to grab my foot. _OK...THIS IS IT_! I felt my ki boil over and right when I felt Piccolo's hand graze me shoe, I pulled up and started flying straight into the West.**

**"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! AAAAALRIIIIIGHT!" I shouted excitedly into the rushing air.**

**I flew at least 30 meters before I stopped myself and floated in mid air. I looked back to see where Piccolo was, and also to see how pissed off he looked, but there was no sign of him. _He couldn't have continued down to the ground..._  I thought and tried looking through the clouds that were blocking my view,  _Where is h—_**

**All of a sudden, I was grabbed by the back of my hair and spun around in the air so I would face the opposite side. Now completely turned, Piccolo had me by the shoulders and was giving me an intense death glare. He was so pissed that I could easily see his jaw muscle clench and unclench; he huffed warm air in my face as he growled menacingly deep in his chest.**

**I decided to be a smart-ass (what a surprise) and say probably the last thing I should have ever said to him in such a situation. "Are you going to threaten me anytime soon, or are you just going to stare at me with that constipated look on your face."**

**He was even more enraged at me with that remark, but because of two reasons: One, I knew him like I knew myself, and two, there was nothing he could really do that he hadn't tried already. Needless to say, I loved the annoyed expression that was shinning through those alluring eyes of his.**

**He let go of my shoulders and crossed his arms; stared me down for a couple of seconds, then in a stoic tone, asked, "How long have you been able to fly?"**

**"Since yesterday."**

**"And I ended up carrying your ass all the way from Gohan's," he paused then asked irritably, "Why the hell didn't you say anything?!"**

**I smirked and said in a cool tone, "Because you didn't ask. I decided to use that ignorance and have a little fun; no need to get all pissed about it."**

**He grunted and narrowed his eyes. _Jesus he's hot when he's angry!_**

**I simply couldn't take it anymore; either I was going to glomp/molest this delicious Namek, or I was going to laugh it off to relieve my tension. Unfortunately, my psychotic hormones chose the latter...**

**I floated closer to him and giggled under my breath. He looked at me suspiciously as I hardened my expression and got even closer. When I got close enough that I could smell that rugged scent of his, I looked into his eyes and...pinched his nose.**

**"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" he said in disbelief.**

**_OH GOD...I need to get away from him long enough to regain my composure_ ** **, I thought frantically.**

**"Just reliving some tension," I mumbled and pathetically changed the subject, "Which way is it to Capsule Corp?"**

**Piccolo looked at me really weird, but regained his composure quickly. "It's straight that way."**

**"Fine...lets go. I don't want to get too distracted from what I have to do," I stated in a business-tone, trying to forget how much of an ass I made out of myself.**

**I started flying in the direction Piccolo had pointed to, with him not so far behind. _Just relax, Sofia. Focus on what you're going to do when you get to Bulma's. OK. First, I need some capsules so I can pack ALL my crap and not have to lug it around. Next, I'm going to ask her for a 500 zeni loan so I can buy the mirror and store it for safe-keeping. Then, I have to ask her what's been going on and see how long Vegeta's been gone; Goku could arrive any day. Hmmm, I got to figure out what the missing facts are for this whole shit. Why was Kami so tense before we left? Could he know more than—_  my thought was cut off by Piccolo shouting right in my ear.**

**"COULD YOU GO ANY SLOWER, OR ARE YOU DOING IT TO PURPOSELY IRRITATE ME?!"**

**I was completely caught off guard. I didn't even notice he had flown up besides me. That happens a lot when I'm pondering deeply about something that perplexes the shit out of me. Someone always comes up and freaks me out and I stumble in thought.**

**"JESUS! Your not the only one with sensitive hearing, alright asshole!" I shouted in defense, and then continued, "Not like you could go any faster anyway."**

**Piccolo glared at me, "Is that a challenge?"**

**I glared back, and in a challenging tone, snapped, "You bet your sweet ass it was."**

**Instead of narrowing his eyes like I thought he would do, Piccolo gave me a devilish smirk that showed a menacing fang. Then in a scoffed tone, condescended, "You probably couldn't even fly straight doing the kind of speed it'll take to keep up with me, kid."**

**My heart skipped a beat when the last word sunk in... _"Kid"? That's a term of affection from him! He only calls Gohan kid, and I've never heard him call anyone else that, excluding the fics I've read of course,_  I thought in disbelief and almost bumped into Piccolo when I was distracted. My mind just wouldn't let go of his comment; it kept running over and over in my head.  _Why did he refer to me like that?! Does he like me? Or does he know that I'm psychotically enamored with him?! Maybe he said that to psych me out and see if I do like him...or he just said it without any secret meaning behind it. JESUS!_**

**My mind was on rapid-fire mode and I couldn't stop trying to rationalize if when he called me kid he meant it as a gag or what. I do that a lot, I guess it's the Capricorn in me, or just my peeve with being called stupid nicknames that have double meanings. Either way, I got distracted again, and got poked by Piccolo hard on my right shoulder.**

**I looked to the side and had just realized he was still looking at me.**

**He cocked an eyebrow and then said in a smug tone, "You shouldn't think so hard, you might hurt yourself from the mental exertion. It's obvious you realize that you'd be eating my dust if we went through with our little race."**

**I couldn't help but sneer at his eloquent yet sharp-tongued, smart-ass remark. It was something of beauty that under other circumstances I would have praised, but at the moment that bitch was my rival in every way. I got pretty ticked off and I felt the heat rising again.**

**I balled up my hands into fists and agitatedly stated, "Oh really. Considering that you don't do much thinking and you're still able to give yourself brain damage I'd think you would be the last person to lecture me on anything besides being bitchy and hypocritical."**

**Piccolo stopped in the air, and snarled as he gave me a death glare. I stopped too and gave him my own devilish grin. I knew for a fact that he gets livid when someone insults his intelligence, so I took a chance and turned away from him and said, "Guess I hit a nerve."**

**I heard him menacingly growl and the swoosh of his cape as he lunged at my back. Before he could even touch me, I let the energy swirl through my bloodstream again and in a flash shot forward and started flying at high speed. I was flying so fast the wind was hurting my eyes. When I looked back, I had a crimson/red energy contrail behind me. _AWESOME!_  I thought excitedly and looked forward.**

**About 50 miles away there was a city with enormous buildings and a mad dash of pedestrians all over the place. _Guess that's West City_ , I thought, then realized, _Wonder where that orgasmic Namek is?!_**

**I reached out with my mind to sense his ki level, and immediately got a tremendous buzzing on the back of my skull that was rapidly increasing. I looked back and sure enough, Piccolo was cutting through the air at such a speed I wondered if he would create a sonic boom.**

**"HOLY CRAP!" I shouted to myself in disbelief and decided to start hauling ass before he caught up with me.**

**I picked up speed and starting flying over buildings and insanely packed streets that were in obvious rush hour traffic. I looked ahead and spotted the dome-shaped anime pinnacle known as Capsule Corp., which was a little ways away. The buzzing in my head went from the back of my skull to the right side of my head as Piccolo finally caught up with me and appeared 5 feet away at my right. I looked out the corner of my eye and checked out the trademark expression he was sporting. His browridges where knitted into an obvious scowl and his lips were in a tight line since his jaw muscle was clenched tightly. His body was tense with anger and determination, which of course were results from my smart-ass mouth and insolent attitude towards him.**

**_Even seething in rage, he's still the Sexiest Namek I will ever lay eyes on_ ** **, I mentally remarked. _Maybe I should tone myself down...wouldn't want to lose my stalking privileges if he gets fed up and leaves_ , I paused, then realized,  _What the hell am I thinking? If I tone myself down I'll probably pounce on him and start nibbling on his neck! UGH, this is a predicament; how am I going to keep my mental perversion and my psycho hormones in check for an entire year...locked away with him?!_**

**For a split second I was going to start obsessing, but I snapped myself out of it when I realized that Capsule Corp. was coming in fast and that I had to start slowing down for landing, but there was a problem... _I NEVER REALLY LEARNED HOW TO LAND!_**

**_AH SHIT!_ ** **I shouted in my mind. I looked to my right at Piccolo and saw that he was a little ahead of me, and that he was getting ready to land but he wasn't slowing down. I looked straight ahead and started to descend, without slowing down.**

**I came up with probably the most half-assed idea I could have had at such a time: I flipped in the air so I would be in a straight position and tried to push my ki downwards through my feet so I could slow down. I concentrated but all I manage to do was get myself ready to slam into the cement sidewalk that was right in front of the building.**

**I had braced my legs with all the energy I could so I wouldn't break every bone in my body, which actually worked; I landed on the sidewalk in a crouching position. The only thing severely damaged was the part of the sidewalk my feet slammed into, creating a pretty wicked looking crack. I stood up and opened my eyes (I had shut them before impact) and looked down at my sneakers, which were covered in a mix of dry, powdery, dark gray cement and some dirt from underneath the sidewalk.**

**I sighed a little in relief and annoyance. "There go my brand new Converse."**

**"You're lucky it wasn't your neck." I looked over to my side to see Piccolo looking at me with his intense gaze and standing in his don't-fuck-with-me stance with his usual scowl.**

**I walked over as cool as possible, considering what had just happened. I got up to the walkway of the building where he was standing. I was about to say something that would probably warrant a good beat down from him, but he had the first word.**

**"Of course, I warned you that you would be eating my dust, but you decided to make an ass of yourself anyway and almost drilled yourself into the ground," he said in a snide tone, got closer to me in a menacing way and then continued, "I really wouldn't like to see what could happen if your luck ran out on you one of these days, especially if it's the day your ass can't cash what your mouth puts out."**

**I gave him a mocking look and said in an indifferent tone, "You go ahead with your veiled threats. You don't intimidate me at all, and you probably never will; quit wasting your warrior's dignity on trying to scare me and start walking to the door."**

**He glowered at me for an instant, then sneered. I crossed my arms and waited for him to lead the way to Bulma's door, but instead ended up in a stand off. I guess he didn't trust me with walking behind him (wonder why?).**

**After at least a minute of staring at each other, silently daring the other to go first, Piccolo snapped. "Why don't YOU go first?! Are you planning to do something once my back is turned?!"**

**I gave him an offended look and in a well-designed tone, sighed, "Do you think that low of me, that I would attack you once your back is turned?! I might have a sense of honor different from yours, but I assure you I don't practice such low and cowardly displays. I'm not petty and I would not do anything to such a formidable opponent, especially after losing to you in the race."**

**Piccolo eyed me warily, keeping his stoic expression. He huffed through his nose, and replied, "You just seem like one of those vindictive bitches that can't take offense in stride—no offense!"**

**I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "No offense taken," I replied and bowed my head in an "after you" kind of gesture. He gave me the once over, grunted, and started walking towards the door about 20 feet away. I followed close behind.**

**_I'm not vindictive! I'm a bitch, I'll give him that, but vindictive?!_ ** **I looked down and saw that his cape sort of grazed the floor as it swayed from side to side. I looked at me sneakers, which were still filthy and powder-cement covered, and got a wicked idea. _I'll show him vindictive..._**

**When we got to the door, Piccolo still had his back to me, so I lifted my foot and stepped on his cape, leaving this brownish/gray footprint right above what could be considered the hem of the cape; he didn't even notice what I did...but every other person who took a look at his cape would see it and my lopsided smirk. _I guess it's a way of marking my territory... GOD I NEED TO GET AWAY FROM HIM!_  I pathetically remarked in my mind.**

**Piccolo looked back at me and I made like I was looking in another direction.**

**"Well, are you going to knock or do I have to do that too!' he remarked in that gruff tone of his.**

**I rolled my eyes and side stepped by him to get to the doorbell. I pushed it and leaned against the wall with my arms crossed, waiting for an answer. Almost instantly the door flew open revealing a VERY perky blonde wearing tight blue shorts and a matching blue and white top. Of course, Mrs. Briefs had that half moon, goofy look on her face when she saw Piccolo and me.**

**"Hello, how may I help you—Oh Piccolo! It's so nice that you came to visit!" she chimed in that high pitch, joyful tone of hers, which made Piccolo cringe behind me.**

**I jumped in to answer for Piccolo, knowing full well that he wouldn't. "Hello, I'm Sofia and I was wondering if I could speak to Bulma," I said in my courteous tone.**

**Mrs. Briefs just seemed to realize my presence and gave me a wide smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Sofia! You two come in. Bulma's in her lab fiddling around with one of her inventions. I'm sure she'd be glad to see you two," she replied.**

**I looked at Piccolo and gave him an amused expression, to which he simply grunted and walked pass me and entered the building. Mrs. Briefs made way for him and as he passed she looked at the footprint on his cape and began to giggle. I snickered and looked at her with an expression that said "don't ask"; she got the idea - which kind of surprised me.**

**Piccolo looked at us with a judging expression, and I think I heard him mutter, "Crazy females." I looked at Mrs. Briefs, who was giving me a weird look, even for her.**

**"Are you two going out? You both look like the cutest couple," she said and then continued in a giggling tone, "I always thought Piccolo needed a girlfriend, and you look like the perfect girl for him!"**

**I must have had at least 10 sweat drops on my head after hearing her say that. I heard a gruff growl from my left and looked to see Piccolo with his eyes narrowed towards Mrs. Briefs. She simply giggled and looked at the both of us.**

**I snapped out of my stupor and decided to QUICKLY change the subject before the woman said anything else that would guarantee her immediate demise.**

**"Um, could you get Bulma so I could speak to her very quickly? If it isn't any trouble," I said.**

**She gave me a cheerful smile. "Of course, it's no trouble at all! How silly of me, come into the living room and make yourselves comfortable," she replied as she showed us to the living room, which was on my right. All three of us went through the doorway and Mrs. Briefs gestured for Piccolo and I to have a seat. She was about to step out, but she whirled around and went into full hostess mode. "Can I get anything for you two? Something to drink maybe?"**

**"Water is fine." Piccolo and I said this in exact unison and even in the same tone. I felt my cheeks warm in a faint blush and I noticed Piccolo had a goofy look on his face.**

**"AAWWWWW, That is sooo cute! You two are so meant for each other!" she squealed in delight as she skipped through the kitchen doorway, which was next to the entertainment center.**

**Piccolo growled enraged and in embarrassment. I couldn't even think of something to say to relieve the tension (I'm pretty good with that). JEEZ _, that woman really needs to skip a day of her medication. I hope Bulma hurries the hell up..._**

**As if I made a silent introduction, Bulma came into the living room through the doorway leading to the hallway. She had her hair up in a messy bun and she was wearing what looked like a form-fitting mechanic's overalls stained with grease with a plain t-shirt under them.**

**"Oh, hey Piccolo! What's up?" she asked and then focused on me. "Who's your friend?"**

**Before either of us could answer, Mrs. Briefs came in with a two tall glasses of ice-cold water. "Oh that's Sofia, Piccolo's giiirlfriieend," remarked the psychotically cheerful woman and started to giggle.**

**Piccolo jumped up and practically hissed as he said, "She-is-NOT-my-girlfriend!"**

**Bulma jumped in the way of the looming Namek and her mother. "Mom, how about you go upstairs and check on dad while I talk to both of them, ok?" she said urgently with a pushy tone.**

**Mrs. Briefs handed Bulma the glasses of water. "OK! If you need me just call me," she replied and practically skipped out of the room and up the stairs.**

**I felt instant relief when the woman left and the twitching in my left eye stopped.**

**Bulma gave an amused look and directed her full attention to both of us.**

**"Sorry about her. She gets that way whenever company comes over," she said.**

**"I'm pretty sure she does that on a normal basis," I remarked and continued, "By the way, I'm Sofia, and I really need to talk to you."**

**Bulma nodded her head at my statement, then said in a thoughtful tone, " Nice to meet you," she paused and continued, "Well not to be rude, but is it really important? It's just I'm working on a breakthrough in some research."**

**Piccolo grumbled in impatience. I rolled my eyes at him and looked back at Bulma.**

**"Well, I'm from a different dimension parallel to this one and I crossed over by some unknown reason and I'm on a mission to find out what's going on; I know about everything relating to you and this universe..." I said in a business/cool tone and paused, seeing Bulma's jaw drop, "should I continue?"**

**"YES...I don't have anything else to do..." she said in an astonished tone.**

**"Good. Could we go to somewhere private? This isn't something I should be discussing out in the open," I said in a cool tone.**

**Piccolo grunted and he walked up to both Bulma and I. "Why the hell do you always usher people away when I'm around?! If you're going to tell her your far fetched chronicles just tell her here," he commented in a commanding tone.**

**"Arrrrgh! Piccolo, why don't you sit your ass down and meditate, or drink some water or something! You already know enough of my "chronicles." Bulma needs to be in the loop," I said irritated and paused, then muttered, "something that is too sophisticated for you."**

**"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!" he shouted right in my face.**

**"YOU HEARD ME YOU BITCHY PAIN IN THE ASS!" I shouted right back. While Piccolo was fuming, I directed myself to Bulma, "Let's go to the kitchen, so I can give you all the info, and so THIS," I pointed to Piccolo, "Bitch can have some time alone, which is something he'll need since we're going to be stuck together for a while."**

**Bulma's eyes were wide from watching how I carried myself and how I didn't even flinch in fear around Piccolo. She simply nodded and gestured for me to follow her into the kitchen.**

**Before I walked into the kitchen, I took the glasses from Bulma—she had been holding them and hadn't offered them, gave one to Piccolo and gulped the other's contents. I looked at Piccolo as he glared daggers at me.**

**"Before you threaten me or do anything, at least drink your water. If you want we can postpone our verbal spar for later," I stated indifferently.**

**Piccolo narrowed his eyes and did something that actually surprised me. He took the glass and gulped down the water in one shot and roughly handed the glass back to me. He then went to the doorway that lead to the kitchen, walked to the backdoor and went out in a huff, slamming the door hard enough for the frame to shake.**

**"Wow...how did you manage to not get intimidated by him?" asked Bulma wide eyed.**

**I sighed loudly and raised my hands so I could flop them on my sides. "Oh never mind," was my reply. I proceeded to take my backpack off and place it by the doorway to the kitchen. I turned around and gave Bulma a reassuring smile as I said, "Come on, sit your ass down so I can go into my monologue...I think you'll appreciate the magnitude more than some people."**

**She gave me a smile back and said as she walked over to sit by the kitchen table, "Well, give me the full story."**


	5. Waves of Truth

 

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_  " _Dream_ "**

**"...And that is what has happened so far."**

**Sofia sat back in the chair and stared at Bulma, reading her expression. In less than 15 minutes she told Bulma the slightly edited version of her "chronicle," opting for the explanation she gave to Gohan rather than the truth she had told Kami.**

**She had expected for the female tycoon sitting across her to go into one of her universal hysterics and verbally pounce on her over the quantum physics or the space-time continuum possibilities of her story, but instead, Bulma simply stared in awe at Sofia. After a solid 10 seconds, Bulma finally spoke.**

**"This all has happened in the span of 2 days?" she asked as she leaned on the table, folding her arms and resting them on the surface.**

**Sofia nodded her head and replied, "Well, it has actually only been a day and a half since I left my dimension and got here." She folded her arms over her chest and crossed her legs as she asked, "Do you understand why not a lot of people can know about this?"**

**Bulma nodded her head yes. Sofia sighed in relief and decided to finally state the reason she had come to Capsule Corp. "Well, I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor. I need a loan and...um, I was wondering—" she was cut off by Bulma.**

**"Of course I'll give you a loan! Anything that I can help you with you just tell me; no need to be embarrassed by it," she said in a friendly tone and gave Sofia a reassuring smile.**

**Sofia smiled back and said, "It's really great meeting you, Bulma. I never thought I would have the luck of hanging out with you," she paused and then said, "I give you my word that I'll pay you back in full...it's just I have no money on me and my currency is different from yours."**

**"How much money do you need?" asked Bulma.**

**"About 500 zeni," she replied, and then asked, "Oh, and do you think you could give me some capsules? I'd really appreciate it."**

**"Sure." Bulma got up from the table and went to her purse, which was on top of the kitchen counter. She pulled out a crisp 500-zeni bill and then walked over to a drawer that was on the corner near the counter edge. She opened the drawer and pulled out a small, blue case with the Capsule Corp. logo on it. She walked back over to the table and handed Sofia both items before sitting down in the chair across from her. 'There's 5 capsules in the case."**

**"Thanks Bulma," she said as she folded the zeni bill and put it in her left pocket and put the capsule case on the table. "I feel like such a moocher. I swear I'll pay you back," she humbly promised.**

**The blue haired genius gave her a friendly smile and said in an energetic tone, "Don't sweat it! That's what friends are for. I mean, you don't know the meaning of mooching compared to some..." Bulma rambled on without realizing that Sofia was zoning out her words.**

**_She already considers me a friend_ ** **, she thought astonished. _I could never trust someone that easily..._**

**For a long time, Sofia had gotten used to her antisocial existence, not having any type of acquaintances with anyone around her, either at school or in her neighborhood. She was always the weird girl who hung out in the corner, reading books, listening to music, isolated from the happenings around her. She found that she did not wish to be part of the general cliques that others would flock to, and at the same time, she wasn't accepted by her peers because of her individualism and "odd" sense of self.**

**Not surprisingly, she suffered endless amounts of ridicule and ostracism from her peers, and even her parents. They expected for her, as the first born, to act and think in the standards that they themselves had been brought up by. Unfortunately, Sofia seemed to be the complete antithesis of what her parents wanted in a daughter, except when it came to her intelligence and resourcefulness- which have played defining roles in her survival...so to speak.**

**From her childhood all the way to her early adolescence, she felt the psychological, emotional, and physical condemnation of being a different being with a completely original perspective of the world. For many years, she was constantly picked on and even beat up by groups of cruel and relentless peers who took joy from her misery. After suffering such humiliation, she would have to face the unsympathetic looks of her own parents who already viewed her as a disappointment. Because of this, she decided that no matter what, she would bottle up her actual emotions, store away the pain and anger so that no one would have the possibility of witnessing her flaws and weaknesses. She also built a proverbial barrier around her scarred heart and soul, so that no one could ever get close enough to ever inflict any kind of harm against her.**

**This contributed to the forging of her steel composure and her always-on-guard personally that sealed her real feelings away from others. She became immune to the fear and intimidation tactics she suffered on a daily basis, and learned how to challenge others to stand by their threats, showing no fear to ever having to stand up for herself. Her personal style and attitude morphed into what she is today; an emotionally tough, open-minded, sarcastic and cynical female who took painstaking effort in keeping herself away from the majority and keeping herself the unique minority.**

**She didn't consider anyone nearly trustworthy for her to confide and find a thing in common with, that is until she became a teenager. She formed a strong bond with Raisa, a girl her same age who at the time was as much of a loner as she was. They both had numerous things in common and even shared the same warped, sadistic, dark sense of humor. She even introduced Sofia to the vast anime genre, which completely overwhelmed her—being that she was always a prolific artist and could lose herself for hours drawing anything that interested her.**

**Even with this sense of solidarity, Sofia didn't consider anyone to be a friend, let alone a best friend that she could trust fully and blindly. She kept herself at a safe distance and only hinted of her past anguish whenever they spoke of such things. Although she felt this way, she always had faith that she could maybe open up a little more to the closest thing to a friend she had ever had, but this was even shattered the moment she found out Raisa was moving to the opposite side of the island. Since her move, they both kept in touch through weekly emails and once-in-a-blue-moon phone calls they would make to each other. Of course, this didn't compare to the acquaintanceship they had before, so Sofia submerged herself into what she recently had begun to hold dear: music, anime, her art and most importantly, fan fiction.**

**Because of that sudden shift back to her full loner status, she recently began getting the mocking, antagonistic attacks that she managed to avoid for a couple of years. The big difference this time around was that Sofia made sure that if her attitude didn't get her point across, her fists would. This caused people to back off and show her that sense of respect for a person that didn't take absolutely anything from anyone, no matter how big and menacing they might be.**

**Of course all of this doesn't mean that she didn't have that voice of reason everyone has or that ability to not take herself or others so seriously. She actually berates herself constantly for the often abrasive way she could come off at times and for her various flaws that would tear down the morsel of self-confidence she has. She also knows she could alienate people very quickly, but she feels like she never has to apologize for that seeing as that is the way she is and if people didn't like it they could "shove it up their ass!" as she would so eloquently put it.**

**But at this time, as she thought of all that had happened, she realized she enjoyed Piccolo's company, and that the feeling was probably far from being reciprocated from him. _GOD, I can be such a pain in the ass! How in the hell am I going to survive in that chamber?! As soon as I walk in he'll probably kick me around like a friggin chihuahua_ , she mentally sighed,  _I should just cool it before I do something I can't come back from... like "the day my ass can't cash what my mouth puts out!"_  The last thing she thought amused and in a tone mocking Piccolo's gruff, baritone voice.  _That was a really lame line, but he's so sexy I can let it slide_. Sofia paused, realizing she had zoned out her "conversation" with Bulma. She mentally cursed herself and focused back to what her host was saying.**

**"...I really don't know what in the world I'm going to do with that two-timing Yamcha! I swear he can be such a self-centered, idiotic baby. GRRR!" the blue haired woman fumed the end on her monologue, never realizing her guest's space adventure for the majority of the conversation.**

**Sofia smirked at the quintessential freak-out she had come to know well. "You shouldn't worry about that bitch Yamcha...he'll get his soon," she commented in a nonchalant way.**

**Bulma gave Sofia an inquisitive look as she asked, "What do you mean? Do you know something is going to happen to him?"**

**Sofia leaned forward and propped her elbow on the table to incline her head to the side as she said in a cryptic/amused tone, "You could say that. You could also say I know everything that's going to happen in the next 3 and a half decades here. As I told you, in my dimension I'm able to look into other dimensions and learn from them."**

**"Wow...that's right, you did mention that," Bulma paused, and continued, "I'd love to have that kind of knowledge."**

**"As would the plethora of egomaniacal opponents you people are always dealing with," Sofia quipped in a cool tone.**

**Bulma nodded her head thoughtfully, then asked in a semi-pleading tone, "Would it be too much to ask for a future tid-bit? I promise I'll keep it a secret."**

**Sofia sat back in her chair and pondered the request. After a few seconds she snapped her fingers and stated, "I'll tell you what I'll do. I will give you a little life-changing info in return for my loan, but you can't tell anyone about this."**

**"That's a great idea. I promise not to say a word," as she said this, Bulma leaned over the table so that she could whisper, "What's going to happen with Yamcha and me?"**

**"Not only are you going to dump his ass, but you're going to get with one of the finest men in history...at least in my opinion he's a sexy ass guy," answered Sofia with a genuine smile.**

**Bulma's expression went from wistful to elation as she jumped out of her chair and began to prance like a giddy schoolgirl. "Oh wow! How soon is this going to happen?" she asked in an excited pitch that almost mirrored her mother's.**

**"Really soon," replied Sofia, then continued, "Just go about your normal routine like you don't know anything specific and let everything happen, alright?"**

**"Yeah, whatever you say."**

**"Good." Sofia picked up the capsule case, got up from the table and walked over to the kitchen doorway and picked up her backpack. She opened her backpack and put the case inside, then zipped it back up. "Well…" she began as she put the backpack on, "guess I'll see you in a couple of days."**

**She walked over to the backdoor and turned around to face Bulma, just realizing she had forgotten something. "Oh by the way, how long has Vegeta been gone?" she asked.**

**Bulma brought her index finger to her chin and began to tap it in thought. "He's been gone almost as long as Goku. Why do you ask?"**

**"Nothing really. Just wondering," was her evasive answer. _That means they both should be coming back in a couple of days. Can't wait to meet the sexy Prince of all Saiyans_ , she thought in a slightly excited tone, but then took a morose turn,  _Now I have to go outside and face the fuming Namek_ , she mentally huffed. "Oh geez...this should be fun," she muttered in a scoffed tone to herself.**

**Bulma gave her a worried look, then in a curious tone asked, "Is there something wrong?"**

**Sofia sighed and walked over to the window next to the backdoor. She looked out at the backyard and saw Piccolo meditating in the lotus position floating off ground 30 feet away under a tree, with his back to her. "Well, lets just say I've been very overbearing towards a certain no nonsense Namek lately, and I'm not quite sure how to handle the situation," Sofia said in a factual tone and looked over at Bulma with a lopsided smirk.**

**"Well does he look mad from here?" asked the Capsule Corp. heiress as she walked over to Sofia's side so she could look for herself. The first thing she noticed about the Namek in question was the dirty shoe print on the back of his cape. She stifled a giggle as she looked at Sofia and asked, "Does he know that's on his cape?"**

**"He has no freaking clue. I think I'll let him fly around for a while completely ignorant towards his fashion statement," Sofia snickered with an amused look on her face.**

**Bulma shook her head from side to side, but kept the amusement in her expression. "I really wish you the best of luck, considering that Piccolo is not the best person to mess with," she said as she walked to the counter and leaned against it with her hip.**

**Sofia walked over to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob in preparation for her departure. She looked towards Bulma and remarked, "As I said to Mr. Popo, I've made it my sole duty to keep the Namek on his toes. I'm not afraid or intimidated by him...but I really am worried about spending more than a nano second with him in a closed off space, let alone an entire year, seeing as we clash so much," she paused, then said with a smile, "Maybe I'll let him win the next verbal spar." She turned the doorknob and took a step out, "See yah, Bulma."**

**"Good luck," Bulma whispered in a goofy tone in reply, so that Piccolo couldn't hear.**

**"Thanks, I'm really going to need it," muttered Sofia as she stepped out and closed the door behind her.**

* * *

 

**'...all I am saying is that maybe she has a reason for her challenging attitude. After all, it's not like you have been very courteous to her.' Nail had managed to get Piccolo to cool down from Sofia's verbal attack and had been trying to initiate some sort of understanding to his stubborn counterpart.**

**Piccolo grunted in irritation, 'I already told you I don't give a damn about that little bitch, nor will I ever care about her! All that's important now is getting my training done and preparing for the battle with that bastard Frieza.'**

**'Piccolo, that is fine and all, but...are you not a little intrigued by such a fearless beauty?' asked Nail in a coy tone.**

**The other Namek wrinkled his nose as he bared his fangs and in a venomous tone snapped, 'What are you getting at! She doesn't intrigue me at all. I have no reason to find her at all interesting, so do me a favor and SHUT UP!'**

**'Hah! You are what humans call a "liar, liar, pants on fire," Piccolo. I know for a fact you're intrigued by Sofia, and that you actually enjoy her company,' stated Nail in a contradictory tone.**

**'Nail, I swear, if you say one more damn word I'll find a way to split from you and kick your ass all over this courtyard!' said Piccolo in an acid tone.**

**'Now really, Piccolo. You don't have to be so contemptuous towards me. I just think you should be truthful, that is all,' Nail said this in a condescending tone.**

**Before Piccolo could answer Nail's comment, he picked up the sound of the backdoor closing and the creaking of the porch stairs. _It's about time that she-devil got her ass out here!_  He thought in a grumble. 'There will be no more of your bullshit, you understand me Nail?! Not another word!' he commanded in his gruff tone.**

**'Fine, fine...whatever you say,' Nail paused, then continued in a small voice, 'But you do have to admit she is very attractive and you are—'**

**'DAMN IT NAIL!'**

**'OK! Have it your way, Piccolo,' said Nail in a defeated tone.**

**'Feh...'**

* * *

 

**She walked down the porch stairs and started walking in Piccolo's direction, her feet making patting sounds as she walked through the thick-but-short grass. _Hope this won't be as catastrophic as I expect it to be_ , she thought in a slightly grave tone. She caught sight of Piccolo in his godly position and tried to contain her wild thoughts, not having a lot of success.**

**As she got closer she couldn't help her lustful perversion get the best of her. _OH LORD...how I'd like to pinch that fine ass. He could pin me to a wall any time!_  She took a couple of steps to the side so she could be facing him. She stared at his youthful face and couldn't help but swoon; his expression contained the trademark scowl, but for the most part he seemed to be quite peaceful.  _He's so gorgeous...what I wouldn't give..._  Before she could go on with her silent admiration over his incredible physique, Piccolo opened his eyes and set his intense onyx pools on Sofia.**

**"Took you long enough!" was his gruff statement as he unfolded his legs and landed on the ground, towering over her form.**

**She snapped herself out of her mental drool fest and put on her stone cold expression. She crossed her arms and leaned into her usual stance as she gave him a look up and down, raising her eyebrow in a provocative way.**

**"Hmph, I just figured you'd take the time to meditate and become one with nature or something," she said in a mocking tone. "If you're done arguing with Nail, we can go to the place where the mirror is," she said in her offhand tone.**

**Piccolo's expression remained stoic, but his eyes showed curiosity as he asked, "How do you know about that?"**

**"I know everything about you. Especially the fact that Nail is the voice of reason in that head of yours," she said and gave him a sly smirk.**

**He grunted as he gave her an intense stare, then said, "More like he's the nagging old lady that has to drill his opinion into my psyche."**

**Sofia couldn't help but chuckle at the comparison, imagining an old lady nagging Piccolo and coaching him to do something was the most humorous thing since the footprint on his cape.**

**"Well, we should get going..." she said and jumped into the air and started flying in the direction of Mt. Paozu, Piccolo following close behind. They flew out over the city and began ascending over the clouds.**

**'I don't think that was a fair description, Piccolo. Just because I give my opinion doesn't mean I'm an "old lady." If anything, I'm very helpful...' stated Nail in an un-amused tone.**

**'Now who's getting all bent out of shape. And didn't I tell you not to say another word?!' commented Piccolo in a snide manner.**

**'I believe you were referring to your not admitting you are attracted to her and living in denial that I couldn't say another word,' stated Nail nonchalantly.**

**'Shut the fuck up Nail,' Piccolo growled to the other Namek. When his mind went silent he turned his attention ahead and flew up besides Sofia.**

**She was too caught up in her own thoughts to notice he was now by her side, staring at her out of the corner of his eye. _I don't know what the hell Nail's talking about. I'm not attracted to her at ALL_ , Piccolo thought in a tone that sounded like he was trying to convince himself.  _That bastard Kami knows more about what's going on than he's letting on... and she's keeping something from me too._  He grunted to himself and thought sternly,  _Whatever it is, she has no reason to be the way she is. I've never seen anyone be that way, especially a woman. What's her damn problem..._**

**While Piccolo continued with his internal monologue, Sofia was over-obsessing with the facts she had encountered since her arrival. _It's all so much to handle. First, this necklace being destined to be mine—and it originally belonging to some demon woman from this realm's past; me being her reincarnation. She was murdered by her twin star and...I don't know how Kami could know so much, yet so little about this_ , she paused, then continued exasperated,  _maybe there's more to this whole "twin star" shit I'm not getting. To my understanding a person's twin star is their equal in many ways and they share a common bond, one that joins them to one another for eternity. The only bond the scroll mentioned that Kyouran and her twin star had was that they came into existence at the exact same time...Why would he kill her—it doesn't make any sense!_**

**She growled in irritation and dropped the subject completely out of her mind. _I'm going to have a seizure if I keep thinking about it._  She realized Piccolo was by her side and occupied her now empty mind with visions of her getting beaten in every way imaginable by the menacing and calculating Namek. She mentally sighed.  _How am I going to survive..._**

**She spotted the familiar forest scenery she had been walking through when she got chased by the moronic mountain lion and descended, coming to a slow stop. Piccolo did the same and waited for her to pick a direction.**

**She looked to her right and stated, "It should be 2 miles that way." Piccolo gave a slight nod.**

**They both followed the dirt road and flew over the sign that Sofia had read the address off of the day before. Two miles further down, Sofia recognized the hut she had left when she had gotten to the dimension and began descending until she was 2 feet from the ground and landed in front of the hut entrance. Piccolo landed behind her and took his cross-armed stance.**

**"How long is it going to take us to get back from your dimension?" was his stoic question, rumbling from behind Sofia.**

**She looked over her shoulder with a hint of surprise on her expression as she said, "You're coming with me? I figured you'd just wait for me here while I went."**

**Piccolo looked at her with his intense stare and frowned, then said in a harsh tone, "Don't be stupid. The old man said to stick together...is there some reason you don't want me to come with you?!"**

**She narrowed her eyes at him, scoffed, and replied, "I take your ass into consideration and you call me stupid." She turned away from him and began to walk into the hut as she said, "Lets hurry up and get this over with!"**

**Piccolo raised an eye ridge at her reaction, and followed her lead.**

**They walked past a clutter of objects and furniture, heading into the right side of the hut. They spotted the mirror and walked over to it. Sofia looked to the back of the hut where she heard the voice of the man from the day before, as he cheered on something that was on the mini TV he had in the little room he was in at the back of the store. She glanced at the screen and saw a loud, hairy guy with a huge afro prancing around ostentatiously and holding up both of his hands in the air in the peace sign.**

**"Hercule," she said in a low voice, recognizing Mr. Satan whom at this time was just a pro wrestler gaining popularity competing in weekly wrestling matches.**

**"What?" asked Piccolo in a gruff tone.**

**She sighed and walked over to the mirror. "Oh, nothing...just someone you'll meet later on," she replied off-handedly.**

**"Hmph."**

**She faced the mirror and looked at herself. She looked at the necklace being reflected and saw that it began to glow. _Here we go_ , she thought excitedly. The mirror began to ripple and slowly went flat, the image of her, Piccolo, and the store fading away and revealing her bedroom.  _At least my creepy reflection didn't pop up. Wonder how it knows how to activate. I mean, I've been around other mirrors and it doesn't do this..._ she thought the last part using as a reference one of her favorite fan fics, realizing that unlike what Cyndi's necklace did, hers only caused the dimensional portal with this particular mirror.  _Maybe this is the only way through both the dimensions. Hm..._**

**Piccolo grunted behind her; he never saw anything like that before. "Well, what next?" he muttered more than said.**

**Sofia cocked an eyebrow and stored her mental deductions for later.**

**"Well now we hold hands and recite poetry...what do you think we do!" she remarked in a mocking tone and smirked. Before he could say or do anything in retaliation for such a wise comment, she stepped through the mirror, causing it to ripple madly.**

**'You walked right into that one, Piccolo. She is quite skilled at making you look like a fool, isn't she,' said Nail in a smug tone to his now fuming counterpart.**

**Piccolo gritted his teeth in pure rancor. 'The both of you are really aching for me to beat you into the fucking ground!' he angrily paused. 'I swear on Kami that I will find a way to kick the shit out of you, Nail,' he snarled at the other Namek. Nail decided not to reply to Piccolo's threat and went silent.**

**Piccolo grumbled to himself and stepped through the mirror.**

* * *

 

**As soon as she made it to her side of the dimensional line, Sofia got a splitting migraine that caused an intense amount of pressure in the spot right between her eyes.**

**"Shit!" she grumbled irritably as she rubbed her index finger and thumb over the bridge of her nose, then pressed her index and middle finger against the spot that continued to throb. After some of the pressure subsided, she turned her attentions to her surroundings.**

**She now was in her bedroom, facing the foot of her bed. She looked over to her alarm clock on her bureau and saw that only 2hrs and 15min had gone by since she left.**

**"Wow, talk about lapse in—" she was cut off as Piccolo bumped into her from behind, causing her to almost trip and land on her bed. "Jeez! What the h—"**

**"What the hell were you doing in my way!" he replied in a harsh tone.**

**"Grrr, I swear you can be such—" she cut herself off when she turned around and noticed her reflection after the image of the store faded from her mirror. She looked exactly like she was still in anime, that is, she still had the features she had inherited when she'd stepped through the mirror to the other dimension. She gawked at the sight and was obviously confused by the situation.**

**"What's wrong with you?!" Piccolo asked in a cool tone.**

**Sofia looked towards him and almost fell over at the godly vision standing before her. Piccolo was now flesh and bone. She gasped as she took his appearance in. He still resembled his anime form, but with slight differences. His facial bone structure was now very detailed; high cheekbones, angular jaw, protruding eye ridges and teardrop nose now were even more alluring to her than ever, strong yet delicate features that were never really displayed in all their glory. His emerald skin was still the characteristic vivid green she had fallen in love with, and the raised pink patches lined around the edges with a thin strip of brilliant red that were his muscles rippled and looked strong, but smooth to the touch. His muscular, yet slender arms seemed to be chiseled by Da Vinci himself, containing cord-like veins and tendons that contracted and rippled under his leather-like skin as he flexed his biceps and triceps. His large hands and long, tapered fingers with pointed white nails were mesmerizing for her, seeming to be the receptacles for incredible power and at the same time the gentlest features of his body. But the defining aspects that intoxicated her just from first glance were his lips - delectably thin and slightly curved, his ears - pointed and incredibly scrumptious looking, and his eyes - still slanted and big, but not in the same manner as in his realm. His eyes were still dark from her vantage point, seeming to be the color of coal or graphite, able to cause chills to go down her spine as she lost herself in the dark pools.**

**_OH MY GOD..._ ** **she thought flabbergasted as she stared at him with wide eyes and tightened jaw. She raised her left hand, as if to caress his cheek and prove to herself what she was looking at was real. Before her fingertips could brush the skin of his cheek, Piccolo grabbed her wrist and tightened his grip.**

**"What the HELL are you doing?!" he growled in a menacing tone, as he glared daggers at her.**

**Sofia snapped herself out of her stupor, but continued to gawk at the gorgeous being in front of her. The pain of her wrist being gripped harshly by Piccolo flashed in her consciousness, and she pulled her hand out of the iron bear trap that was Piccolo's hand.**

**"You...look—different," was all she could gasp out, losing her composure to the point of not realizing how foolish she sounded.**

**Piccolo raised an eye ridge at her tone. "What do you mean? You look exactly the same," his voice showed slight confusion, but his general tone managed to mask it.**

**"It's just-well—look," Sofia took his forearm and turned him so he could look at himself in the mirror.**

**Piccolo came face to face with his somewhat altered appearance, taking a step back from the shock and emitting a choked grunt. _What in the world?!_  he thought perplexed and studied every detail of himself.**

**Sofia couldn't help but let her eyes wander over his form, and try to contain her animalistic hormones for the Namek under wraps. _I can't believe it...PICCOLO IS IN MY ROOM! IN THE FLESH—wow... But what's going on?! Why do I look like I'm still anime? I should be back to normal_ , she paused in thought as she faced the mirror and took her appearance in. The features she had acquired when she went anime were intact, everything from her slanted eyes, her golden/olive complexion, and the unique style of her hair. The only things that were still the same from before she walk through the mirror the first time were her dark brown eyes and hair, beauty mark, and petite yet hourglass-shaped figure. "What is going on..."**

**Piccolo looked at her. "What are you bitching about?! You're not the one who looks different here," he said this and faced her completely so he could glower down at her.**

**Sofia's expression remained solid as she replied, "I have a reason to bitch. I'm not supposed to look this way on my side of the mirror. I look like I'm—" she cut herself off when she realized what she was about to say.**

**"You look like what?" asked Piccolo in a low, gruff tone.**

**"I look like I'm a Bratz doll," she blurted out to cover her mistake, getting a weird look from Piccolo. "Nevermind...I'll start packing," she muttered in response and went to her bureau, where she started to look through the drawers and pick bunches of clothes out and place them on her bed. _Jeez, this is so mind consuming! I almost spilled the proverbial beans about the whole anime thing!_  She mentally huffed.  _I'll just sort this out when we get back to the Lookout...can't be wasting time_ , she mentally stated in a stern way as she went into her backpack and got out the capsule case.**

**While she went upon the task of packing her things, Piccolo stood in his spot brooding over the awkward feeling he was getting from her... that is until something caught his attention. Under the wooden table where her TV was, there was a shelf with all her DBZ box sets lined in chronological order. The only reason he even noticed the box sets was because the Garlic Jr. saga was slightly sticking out, showing part of the villain's face. _What the...?_  he looked in Sofia's direction, but she was too preoccupied with her task and her jumbled up thoughts to notice, and he finally noticed the cloth posters hanging above her bed against the windows. One was something he didn't know, but the other poster was a picture of all the Z Warriors going into battle with a dusk background. The poster included Vegeta, Goku and some other youth he didn't recognize as Super Saiyans.**

**'Piccolo...everyone is in that image. What is this all about?' asked Nail in a tone that showed curiosity and concern.**

**'I don't know, but something tells me this has something to do with whatever secret her and the old man are keeping,' Piccolo paused, then continued in a harsh tone, 'I intend to find out the truth, even if I have to beat it out of her.'**

**Sofia had packed all of her clothes in one of the capsules and had now proceeded to pack her boombox, and CD collection in two other capsules, completely oblivious to what Piccolo was calculating in his mind.**

**Piccolo went to stand behind Sofia with all intention of turning her around and questioning her until he got all the truth, but as he passed by her desk on his right, he noticed the Piccolo action figure on the surface near the edge of the desk. He picked the doll up and froze as he stared at the miniature likeness of himself. The only thing missing was the turban, but otherwise it was a spitting image of the stoic Namek. _WHAT THE FUCK!?_**

**_That's everything—Hm..._ S** **he looked at the box the necklace had been in and picked it up. _What the hell-might as well take it too._ She placed the box in the capsule with her boombox and put it back in the case with the other capsules, then took her mini red plaid backpack with all her other necessities and stuck the case inside. She contentedly sighed now after finishing her task, but just realized she completely forgot about Piccolo in her haste.  _JESUS YOUR SUCH A FRIGGIN BAKA!_  she berated herself and immediately turned around.**

**Piccolo was 2 feet away from her staring at something in his hand, like it was some silent offender that he didn't know how to retaliate against. "Piccolo, what are you looking at?"**

**He now looked at her with his eyes narrowed and with a frown as he threw the object at her, which she caught in her left hand. She was now staring wide eyed at her Piccolo action figure. _OH SHIT! I FORGOT ABOUT ALL THE STUFF IN MY ROOM!_  she shouted forlornly in her mind.**

**"You better tell me what is going on," he cryptically remarked as he walked over to and stood in front of her in a threatening manner. "What is all this?!" he asked aggressively as his eyes bore into her own.**

**She sighed loudly and looked away from him, but he grabbed her chin and pulled her face back to look into her eyes. "I asked you a question and you better give me a straight answer!" he growled more than said to her.**

**"Let go of me and I'll tell you," she growled back at him and narrowed her eyes. Piccolo let go of her chin and stepped back, crossing his arms over his wide chest. She sat on her bed and huffed out of her nose, trying to get her wits together as she gripped the doll in her hand and calmed herself enough to reveal the truth to Piccolo. _I can't tell him. It could damage him so much to know the truth…I—_  her somber thought was cut off by Piccolo.**

**"WELL?! Spill it," he demanded in his intimidating tone, but it had no affect on Sofia.**

**"FINE…you'd better sit down," she stated in as cool a tone she could muster, seeing as she was nervous of how to tell him in the proper manner.**

**"I'll stand," he grumbled and looked down at her, waiting for her to begin.**

**She put the doll in her backpack and looked at Piccolo. "In my realm...you and the other Z Fighters, and your universe is..." she paused and looked down at her feet, then continued, "...All of it is a popular anime series that has been around for more than a decade." She looked up at Piccolo to read his expression; only his eyes betrayed the shock and confusion her words had caused him, and she immediately regretted telling him. "Piccolo... are y—"**

**"You're lying!" Piccolo uttered in a low, venom-filled tone. His expression was stone, but his eyes burned with conflicting emotions, and he turned away from Sofia with an air of disgust.**

**Sofia's heart jumped in her throat, and a nervous knot formed in the middle of her chest, so she looked down at the floor. His reaction was so surprising to her, and it hurt her. " I'm not...Piccolo, listen. I know this sounds like bullshit, but it's the truth," she looked towards him, continuing, "That's how I know all about you and the things that are going to happen," she paused, then continued when she didn't get a reaction from him, "Your dimension came to be when the series ended—at least that's my theory…" she still got no reaction. "Just try and understand—"**

**As soon as she said that last word, Piccolo turned and grabbed her upper arm and pulled her up. He tightened his grip as his dark orbs seethed with rage, looking into her dark brown spheres. Sofia winced in pain and struggled to get out of his grip.**

**"How dare you speak to me that way, human!" he said with acid in his tone, practically spitting the last word out. "This is just a sick game you made up! All this," he pointed to the poster and the box sets, "this is your idea of getting kicks—there's no way what you say is true!" he stated in a hiss.**

**"IT IS TRUE! I have no reason to do what you're accusing me of! How would I know everything else, Huh?!" she stated in a terse way, trying to hide the hurt his words were causing in her heart.**

**Piccolo tensed at her comment, not knowing how to prove his argument. He let go of her arm and growled deep in his chest from the rage he was containing. "What the hell am I?!" he asked in a low, seething voice.**

**Sofia looked into his face with confusion on her expression. His tone made it seem like he was expecting an answer, but she didn't know how to reply. _This is just too much. I wish he just would of stayed behind..._  she thought morosely.**

**"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" he shouted after not getting an immediate reply from her. She flinched from the anger that spilled out of his voice, but still remained silent, at a complete loss. He stalked towards her, but she backed away subconsciously until she ran out of room. He grabbed her chin and harshly pulled it upwards so he could look into her face as he said, "I'm just a fucking cartoon—is that what you're thinking?! Just a fictional character made up to live a certain way, think and act in the way I was fucking written to! IS THAT ALL OF IT?!" his words were filled with intense rage, but at the same time, they had a hidden undertone of pain.**

**His eyes betrayed that pain, and Sofia choked on the words she had prepared to say, only able to stare into his intense midnight eyes. After a silence that felt like an eternity between them, Sofia whispered in an unreadable tone, "You're not any of that…" She placed her hand on his wrist, as he still held her chin up. Her head began to throb with the same pressure it had when she walked trough her mirror only minutes before, but she ignored it completely.**

**Piccolo pulled his hand away and sneered down at her. "What do you know! You're just a simple little bitch who fell through a mirror—and came into my life just to fuck it up!" he said this and gave her a hateful look, then turned away from her as he said, "You're nothing...just like me."**

**His words felt like knives slashing her heart, and that pain swelled up in her chest, but she swore to herself that she would not cry for anything again, not after so long...**

**"CALM-THE-FUCK-DOWN PICCOLO! You're obviously not just a fucking cartoon cuz you're living and breathing right in front of me," she blurted out in a voice that managed to hide her conflicting emotions.**

**Piccolo turned around abruptly, causing his cape to lift and do a slight swoosh noise as it came to rest behind him again. In a split second, he was in front of Sofia glowering down at her. She didn't fear him or show any signs that she did, but she did show discomfort (her migraine was increasing to ungodly proportions) and tried to get away from him, but Piccolo placed both of his arms on either side of her, boxing her in.**

**"I'm sick of you! You're nothing to me or to anyone for that matter—is that why you came to my realm..." Sofia's eyes went wide and she looked away from him, "that's it. No point on living your pathetic life, so you decided to fuck with other's existences," the pressure between her eyes was increasing, and so was her anger towards Piccolo.**

**"Get away from me!" she growled and tried to push him away, but Piccolo pressed closer to her and forced her to look into his eyes.**

**"Nothing about me is true. I'm just a complete lie that someone wrote to paper and drew...and that you and others watch play-out his faked existence as entertainment," he said this in a snide/harsh tone, his expression completely stoic.**

**"Stop it," she said in a low, venom-filled tone. She clenched her fist and shut her eyes as the migraine intensified.**

**"What are you going to do if I don't, human?! Just cry—cry like the weak," the heat began to rise, "insignificant—" she muttered "stop it!", but Piccolo pressed, "Or what if I don't stop! It's all true, that's why you want me to stop," he harshly cupped her face in his right hand and she opened her eyes, seeming to burn with pure rancor. "Just admit what you are, like I've—" he was cut off.**

**"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she shouted, and Piccolo ended up being pushed with tremendous force to the carpeted floor, only that Sofia didn't raise a finger to do so.**

**"OOF—" he hit the floor with a thud, causing the walls to shake.**

**Sofia just stared wide-eyed at what had just occurred. _WHAT THE—_**

**"Fuck!" Piccolo propped himself on his elbows and stared at Sofia. "How did you do that?!" he growled agitatedly and got up off the floor.**

**Sofia's expression still held surprise and confusion as she replied aloofly, "I don't know...I just wanted you to get away—that's what it was," she paused, then continued in a more excited tone, "my migraine, it must have been the power I got when I came through the mirror; TELEKINESIS! OH SHIT!"**

**Piccolo looked down at her with a raised eye ridge. "That's what the old man was talking about? You unlocking your untapped powers?" he asked in a gruff tone.**

**She nodded her head yes. She then remembered the tense atmosphere they had been in not 15 seconds before and frowned. "Piccolo, I...I'm sorry for, you know." She took a step forward and looked up into his eyes, "I didn't mean for you to find out in such a way..."**

**"You weren't planning on telling me at all, were you?!" he asked sternly as he crossed his arms over his chest.**

**She sighed, then replied in a simple tone, "No, I wasn't planning on having anyone else but Kami know about this," she looked away, "I didn't want to put anyone in this position."**

**"Hmph. You mean finding out you're only a character someone dreamed up, and that your life is what it is 'cause it was written that way...whatever. You didn't have to hide it from me," he said in a cool tone, causing Sofia to look back at him.**

**"So that whole nervous breakdown you had not even a minute ago, that's not proof that I should've handled this a little better?!" she remarked sardonically.**

**Piccolo merely grunted as a response, to which Sofia rolled her eyes. _MY GOD! That was the most intense thing that has ever happened to me. Now it's like it didn't really happen... What could he really be feeling?_  she thought in a slightly worried tone.**

**She exhaled noisily through her nose, then took the dive by asking, "Do you really feel that way?"**

**Piccolo, who had been looking at her open sketchpad on top of her desk, made a confused-sounding grunt and looked at her. "Feel about what?" he muttered in a deep tone, one she had not heard him use up until that point.**

**She felt really embarrassed over what she was thinking, but decided it was best to get all their tension out in the open instead of brooding over it. "Do you...do you feel like you're nothing? That, I'm—" her heart jumped in her throat, she felt so ridiculous. "That I'm nothing?" her tone seemed to hold back what she truly felt, and Piccolo noticed that.**

**He sat on the end of her bed, giving his back to her, and sighed noisily. "I-I didn't mean what I said...about you," he whispered more to himself than to her. She looked at his wide, cape-festooned back, her heart skipping a beat.**

**She got on her bed and sat next to him on the edge. He was looking down at the floor, and for a moment she thought he didn't notice she was there, until he looked right at her. She sat up on her knees so she could make their heights more even, then looked into his black eyes as she said, "I don't think you're nothing." He quirked an eye ridge, so she continued, "You might have started out as a fictional character, but now you're more than that," she slightly blushed, adding, "I thought you should know that..."**

**Piccolo grunted and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "You don't understand what it feels like. Everything that has happened was out of my hands; nothing I did was of my own will, I was supposed to do it," he stated and clenched his fists, then looked into her eyes and frowned.**

**"Piccolo..." she placed her hand on his right hand, which was still clenched, and continued, "That's not true. What you're doing right now proves that not only are you real, but...you feel and you act under your own accord."**

**He at first recoiled from her close contact, but when he heard her words, it was as if something had changed; she was so different from everything and everyone else, and this interested him and even enticed him to try and understand her. He opened his hand and accepted hers, then closed it.**

**She was taken aback by his action; looked into his eyes, slightly smiled, and squeezed his hand. Piccolo grunted deep within his chest, so it sounded kind of like a purr to her. He was looking into her eyes, trying to find any trace of malice or hidden intent by her part, but realized that she didn't have any hidden intentions against him; that she meant the comforting gestures she showed towards him. _I guess she's not so bad..._  he thought simply as he continued to stare into her dark chocolate eyes.**

**Sofia kept her expression leveled but could not help swoon, inwardly of course. _His hand is so smooth and warm... I really do love this sexy Namek! He can be so gentle when he wants to... I guess the same can be said for me._  After staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours, and analyzing the other's facial features, Sofia decided to break the spell. She felt that if she didn't, her hormones would kick in and cause her to act in a VERY un-ladylike fashion.**

**She smirked at him, and then said in a goofy tone, "Well...since that's all cleared up, wanna hug or something?!"**

**Piccolo snorted and got up from her bed, letting go of her hand. "You're really weird, you know that?" he remarked with slight amusement in his tone, then smirked.**

**"IIII KNOOOOW," she said in a goofy sing-song tone, got off her bed and looked up at him. _Such a Yummy Namek!_  she thought in a mischievous manner. "I packed all my stuff, but before we go I have to take care of some things," she stated in her calm/cool voice.**

**Piccolo rolled his eyes and in a grumble said, "Fine, but don't take your sweet-ass time."**

**"Hmph, alright Namek! No need to get impatient," she remarked as she walked over to her door, opened it, and walked out leaving Piccolo to stare at the doorway oddly.**

**'Well that was interesting, wasn't it?' remarked Nail in a sardonic tone. 'Still, it's not quite clear why she is so…unique,' he paused and continued, 'You know Piccolo, you had me worried there for a minute. I wasn't sure how far you were intending to go.'**

**'Whatever...I found out what I needed to know, that's all,' he grunted, 'And as for her personal background, it's not of any importance, especially to you!' Piccolo sternly muttered to his pacifistic counterpart.**

**'Really Piccolo, aren't you a little bit curious about her background? I mean, from my vantage point, you two seem to have a lot in common,' stated Nail plainly. 'And after that little display between the both of you, I think it's safe to say that you're warming up to her...'**

**'Nail, why don't you just sh—'**

**"AHEM." Piccolo's telepathic comment was cut off by Sofia who peeked her head into her room and stared at Piccolo with a cynical expression. "Are you coming Namek, or do you want to stay and play with your action figure?" she said wittily and pointed to her backpack where the doll was semi-visible.**

**Piccolo gave her a dirty look and mumbled something unintelligible as he followed her out of her room and down the hall.**

**Sofia led Piccolo to the stairs and descended, with him close behind. They walked past pictures of relatives and her brothers, and Piccolo noticed that there weren't any photographs of her included with the rest. _Hmph, weird._**

**They got to the bottom of the stairs and Sofia went to her right, where the family room and kitchen were. Piccolo looked around the downstairs of the house, noticing the elegant furniture of the living room to his left, the ceramic and porcelain doll collections that littered every single available space of the room. He also noticed more family portraits, and the fact that Sofia wasn't in any of them or that she was represented in any photos at all.**

**While he continued his silent tour, Sofia went to the kitchen and got a large plastic glass and filled it with cold water from the sink. She then walked over to the doors that led to the backyard and went out. Now outside, she walked over to her dog's water bowl and filled it with fresh, cold water. "Prince, come here," she called out to her dog, who immediately ran in the direction of his owner's voice. "There you are, you psycho," she paused and noticed that her dog was looking at her strangely, as if he didn't recognize her. Prince walked over to her feet and began to sniff her.**

**"Come on Prince, I know I look different. IT'S ME!" she said in an annoyed tone, one which sounded familiar to her pet, who began to shake his butt in acknowledgement and walk in circles around her; his usual routine.**

**"Grrr, you silly-ass dog," she pet Prince and rubbed behind his floppy ears. "I'll see you in a little while." She walked over to the doors leading back into the house, when Prince started making that irritating high-pitched howl he does when he sees a stranger. When she got to the doors she realized why.**

**Piccolo was standing by the doors looking out at Sofia's backyard and Prince could see him. She walked back into the house and closed the door behind her.**

**"I didn't know you had a dog," he remarked in his stoic tone, as he looked down at the animal at the other side of the backdoor. He cringed when the animal made the same howl as before and walked over into the kitchen where he was out of sight from the rambunctious animal.**

**"Yeah, he might not be the smartest dog at times, but he makes up for it with his goofiness," she stated plainly as she walked into the kitchen, put the glass away, and went to the refrigerator. She opened the fridge and pulled out two freezing bottles of water, and tossed one of them to Piccolo who caught it without even looking up; he was staring out of the kitchen window at the darkening sky.**

**"It's going to rain," he muttered tersely and looked over at Sofia.**

**"In Puerto Rico...big surprise," she stated with a note of sarcasm in her voice and sat at the kitchen table. "You can sit if you want," she looked over at the towering Namek, who stared back at her for a couple of seconds before taking a seat across from her.**

**He took his cape and pulled it over his right shoulder so it wouldn't get caught when he sat down. He then ripped the top off of his bottled water and gulped the entire contents in one shot. Sofia raised an eyebrow and opened her own bottle, taking her time with gulping down the water.**

**After an uncomfortable silence between them, Sofia decided to open up a conversation with her usual, unorthodox manner. "Sooooo...what sucks about being a Namek?!" she said this in a cool tone, but with a slight humorous undertone.**

**Piccolo cocked his head to the side and emitted this curious grunt. Sofia chuckled at his reaction and took a swig of her water — thinking it was one of the cutest things he had done so far — while Piccolo's stare intensified on her.**

**She looked over at him and realized that he wanted to say something. "Did you want to be the one to initiate the conversation, cuz by all means—"**

**"Why are you such a bitch?" his deep voice rumbled off the kitchen walls.**

**She looked back at him wide-eyed, completely caught off guard by his question. Her mind tried to analyze if it was an insult, or if it was his attempt to get back at her with his own humor. She slowly realized that it was an actual question, and that he expected a truthful answer.**

**Piccolo's expression remained solid, not even his eyes betrayed any sort of emotion.**

**No one had ever asked her that question, not even in a joking way. However, Sofia found herself wondering the same thing, and began to work through the answer out loud.**

**"Well...I guess—" she paused and looked away from him, her expression going from tense to unreadable. "I guess because of many reasons. Some reasons are common, everyday stuff, and...others aren't," her tone was very docile, not revealing any emotion whatsoever. "I haven't had the best life. But, who does..." as she spoke, memories of her childhood flashed in her mind. "Being different hasn't been the best precursor for anything in my life...especially when you're surrounded by people who think, act and feel differently from you," images of her being teased and cornered by groups of peers went through her mind; _the constant beatings..._ "I don't have any friends, and I've never had—I'm, I'm just alone; that's how it's always been," being told she was worthless, a complete nothing, but she still kept her indifferent expression and her voice leveled, "I've taken shit from people for more than half my existence...I guess I just grew out of that," her parent's verbal abuse, the condemnation she suffered by her peers, everything came to a head..."I just started fighting back; stopped giving a crap over what other people thought of me, and decided to be what I am...different." She paused and looked directly at Piccolo, "I know I'm different, and I accept that completely...guess "bitch" is the perfect title for me. It encompasses the way I come off at times, and it's the general ideal I hold to myself: I can't trust anyone or let anyone get close, or in other words, "be a bitch.""**

**Piccolo took in her words, while he silently read her expression and her tone for any signs of resentment or anger...but found nothing. She seemed to be indifferent, like she felt nothing over what she was telling him, that is until he looked at her eyes. Her eyes at first were like stone, not revealing anything just like the rest of her. But as she got more into what she was saying, Piccolo could see something change in them. The brown spheres that once contained this fearless and challenging spark—which he had seen in their first confrontation at Gohan's house—now contained traces of something he hadn't seen in a very long time... at least since the last time he looked at his own eyes in a mirror. He saw pain.**

**He remained stoic at his silent conclusion, but could not help wonder why she seemed to be so cut off from her own world, especially with the ties to her own family.**

**"What about your family?" he found himself asking out loud.**

**Sofia looked at him and slightly sneered as she considered the question. "What about them?! Not like I'm considered a member of this family," she muttered in a low, angry voice. When Piccolo looked at her with a raised eye ridge, she added cynically, "Lets just say I feel for my family the same thing you feel towards Kami."**

**Piccolo sneered at the comparison. "So that's why you're not in any of the pictures around here?" he asked in a cool tone as he sat back in the chair and crossed his arms.**

**She raised an eyebrow. "Jeez, very observant aren't we!" She crossed her own arms over her chest. "Yes...you could say that my parents consider me a nuisance, since I'm not what they quite wanted as the first born." She seemed to get annoyed with the direction their conversation had taken, so she got up from the table and sighed noisily. "Whatever. What's done is done...no use bitching about it!" she said this in a grumble, then continued, "Lets get going. Kami is probably thinking that we ended up ripping each other's throats out," she stated and gave a slight sadistic grin.**

**Piccolo snorted at the thought and got up from the table. "Who's to say that we won't?!"**

**Sofia's eyes went wide. "Holy crap. Piccolo made a joke!" She raised her arms over her head. "The Apocalypse is upon us!" she shouted in an exaggerated voice.**

**He gave her a dirty look." Very funny," was all Piccolo muttered to her little outburst at his expense.**

**Sofia slightly smirked at him. She took their now empty bottles of water and threw them in the trash. _God, he's so HOT! I think it's time for me to have a little fun with this Yummy Namek..._**

**Sofia looked back at Piccolo whose attention was diverted to something outside of the window across from where he was standing, and got a wicked idea.**

**SLAP!**

**She suddenly ran towards Piccolo and slapped his ass as she went by him to get to the stairs. When she got to the first landing she decided to relieve some more of her tension towards Piccolo. "You got a firm ass, Namek!" she shouted to the wide-eyed and jaw-dropped Namek who if in the anime realm, would have had an uncountable number of sweat drops around his turban-clad head.**

**When she didn't get an immediate answer to her hormonal statement, she added, "I guess you like it like that don't you, Piccolo?! Hahahahaha—yikes!"**

**Piccolo had snapped himself out of his shocked stupor and started ascending the stairs, at a speed that she hadn't anticipated. "GET OVER HERE!" he shouted in a gruff tone at her as she rounded the corner on the top of the stairs and headed down the hallway and into her room, with him VERY close behind.**

**She ran in her room, jumped on her bed and swiftly swung her backpack to her back and stood on her bed as Piccolo came into the room. _Maybe that wasn't such a good idea_ , she thought in a redundant tone.  _Guess I should put my new power to the test!_**

**With their heights equal, Piccolo stalked over to Sofia with the intention of shaking the life out of her, but when he got to the foot of her bed (where she was standing), a force equal to having someone put their hand on his chest and hold him at bay stopped him when he came only inches away from her.**

**"Now-now, Piccolo. I was only screwin' around! Just thought I'd relieve the tension between us, that's all," she remarked with her arm still raised in front of her in a very confident tone.**

**Piccolo gave her a judging once over. "You seem to do that a lot! All you do is create tension, kid," he replied snidely, then added, "You're lucky to have "acquired" such a valuable ability, seeing as I planned on kicking your ass for that stunt you just pulled!"**

**Sofia wiggled her eyebrows in a cartoonish fashion and said, "Good thing I now have the equivalent of an electric fence around me, HUH!" Piccolo wrinkled his nose at her goofy statement. She got off her bed and walked over to her dvd collection, which was by her TV, and got something. _Wonder what he'll think of this?!_  ran through her ingenious mind as she walked over to Piccolo and handed him a PS2 case.**

**Piccolo took the case and looked at the cover, his dark eyes going wide. "What...is this?!" he asked as he looked over at Sofia. He had in his hand DBZ Budokai for PS2.**

**"That's further proof of how big you guys are in my realm; there's a sequel to that game and they're making a third...pretty cool, right?" she replied in a leveled tone that still showed her excitement.**

**He continued to look at the cover with an unreadable expression, then suddenly handed the game back to her. He roughly went by her and walked over to where her dvds, box sets, and video games were. He looked over the titles, coming upon the Matrix trilogy, Underworld, T-2, and the X anime series and movie; he also glanced over her DBZ box sets. He looked back at her with an inquisitive stare that intensified to a smoldering glare.**

**"Why do you have all these things?" he asked and gestured towards the box sets.**

**A little surprised, Sofia sat on her bed and sighed. "I just like—the show's interesting. Why does it bother you so much?" she said and looked at him.**

**"Because it's not everyday I find out my life has been watched by others...and that all this stuff exists. You know everything that has and will happen in my dimension, and so do all the others who have watched this series," he stated and looked away from her, his eyes landing on the cloth poster over her bed. "And what's that about?!"**

**Sofia looked in the direction he was looking. "Oh, that? Just a poster of something that's going to happen later on. That guy," she pointed to S.S. Trunks, "you and everyone else are going to meet him pretty soon," she paused then stood up on her bed and walked over to Piccolo, putting her left hand on his right shoulder pad. "I know this all probably sucks for you, but...you shouldn't focus on it," she said in a business-like tone. "All this is of no importance, just as long as you keep it that way. It shouldn't matter to you all these stupid things from my dimension, because they don't contradict who you are and what you do. I'm...sorry if I've caused you to see your life in a different way," she looked down, feeling intense embarrassment, just realizing how personal she was getting.**

**Piccolo grunted softly. He took his index finger and thumb, and placed them under her chin. He then raised her face so he could look into her deep brown eyes.**

**"Why do you care what I feel? You don't owe me anything, Sofia." His voice seemed to rumble through her soul. She felt so strange — him simply addressing her by her name made her feel this warmth in her chest.**

**"I just—" she was at a loss for words. Sofia had always felt this connection with Piccolo way before meeting him, and now having him so close to her, speaking to her in a trusting manner...she didn't know how to react. She could only stare back into his black pools.**

**All of a sudden, the pendant on her chest began to pulsate and glow with the liquid red swirl it had done from the first time. She stepped back and looked down at the pendant.**

**"Why is it doing that?" Piccolo asked in a low tone, almost a whisper to her.**

**She shrugged her shoulders and stated flatly, "I guess it's time to get back." Piccolo nodded and walked over to the foot of her bed, and faced the mirror. Sofia walked over to the edge of her bed, still trying to keep the last subject out of her mind. _I almost told him my feelings for him... Why would he care about what I—_  She cut her thought off, coming to a sudden realization. She devilishly smirked to herself and looked at Piccolo. "Hey...you have something on your face, Piccolo," she said with a lopsided smirk.**

**Piccolo looked at her curiously, glanced back at the mirror to confirm what she was saying, but it began to ripple, distorting his reflection. He faced her completely and raised a brow ridge as he asked, "Where?"**

**In a flash, Sofia wrapped her arms around Piccolo's neck and planted a kiss on his right cheek, leaving a red lipstick kiss print. "Right there...at least now there's something!" she stated in a low tone to his ear.**

**Piccolo was caught completely off guard, managing to stumble back when he tried to stutter out a reply, and ended up tripping on the bottom edge of the mirror — taking him and Sofia, who still had her arms around his neck, through the rippling portal through the other side, leaving her room in the quiet serenity it had been in before their arrival.**


	6. Visions of Ying and Yang

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_  " _Dream_ "**

**The sounds of objects crashing to the floor echoed through the store, as did a very loud thud that shook the walls.**

**"OOF!"**

**Piccolo and Sofia had fallen through the rippling portal of the mirror to the DBZ realm, knocking over the stacked clutter of objects and rustic collectibles that they had walked pass not even 15 minutes before. Now, however, they both found themselves in VERY awkward positions. Piccolo had landed on his back with his arms at his sides, and Sofia - her arms still around his neck - had landed on top of Piccolo, with her long brown hair coming loose and flowing over her shoulders and slightly grazing his face.**

**"….…"**

**"….…"**

**They simply looked into the other's eyes, breathing each other's breaths they were so close to one another. The shock of the situation wore off, and they both simultaneously sweatdropped and blushed profusely.**

**"Get off of me!" Piccolo groused in a low voice, but in a stern tone. He pushed himself up off the floor, causing Sofia to fall on her butt. "Why the hell did you do that?!" he now asked as he managed to stop blushing, and glowered down at her with his arms crossed.**

**Sofia got up off the floor and dusted off the seat of her pants, her blushing subsiding. _How friggin humiliating…_  she thought in a scornful manner, got her hair tie off the floor, and then looked at Piccolo. He had an expression that somehow reminded her of a spoiled child pouting, and she saw that he still had the red kiss on his right cheek. She couldn't keep a straight face.**

**"OH GOD—Hahahahahahahaha!" she guffawed as she held her sides from her laughter. "Talk about a Kodak moment, hehehe…" she suddenly felt the death glare Piccolo was giving her, so she stopped and looked away, trying to contain her chuckles.**

**The unamused Namek stepped menacingly close to her. "I don't enjoy being mocked, kid!" he snarled in a voice that seemed to seethe with anger, and slight embarrassment.**

**Sofia looked back at him, raised an eyebrow, and gave him a lopsided smirk. She then took her left hand and smeared the lipstick kiss on his cheek, creating a red smudge that clashed against Piccolo's emerald complexion. "I'm not mocking you, it's just there's no way I can take you serious with that bratty expression you had. The lipstick didn't help either," she stated in a smug tone.**

**Piccolo narrowed his eyes at her, then looked to the side at his reflection in the mirror. He irritably growled and began to angrily wipe the smudge with the heel of his right hand. Sofia gave him a triumphant look when he glared back at her (smudge removed), then suddenly felt an aching in her fingertips. _That's weird…_ she looked at her hands and noticed her nails were longer and pointier. _Humph, not bad._**

**"Why do you ALWAYS have to go a step too far?!" Piccolo suddenly yelled into her face and let his arms fall to his sides, making her slightly jump since she wasn't expecting that.**

**Sofia narrowed her eyes at him and inched herself closer. "The same reason you're always acting like a bitch…because I can!" she said in a pugnacious tone.**

**Piccolo clenched his fists and tightened his jaw, trying to prevent his ki from flaring up from the rage that was springing forth from the accumulation of her verbal slashes that could give Vegeta a run for his money. He glared daggers at her, and was about to tear into her with his own verbal attack when he picked up the sound of someone right behind him.**

**Sofia confirmed his suspicion when she stepped back and walked passed him, standing now in front of the half-breed store owner she had promised to buy the mirror from the day before. Piccolo also turned around, but remained behind Sofia, since she began to speak.**

**"Well, I've come to honor the bargain we made," she stated and reached into her pocket, "I have your 500 zeni right he—" her business tone was cut off by the nervous-looking man.**

**"Oh it's you miss—Please come this way for a moment," he rushed as he looked nervously over her shoulder at Piccolo. "We can discuss the money over here!" He grabbed Sofia's forearm and rushed her into the small room at the back of the store/hut, leaving the door partially open.**

**"Sir, what's this—" her question was cut off, once again by the man who looked at her with nervousness and concern.**

**"Are you alright, miss?! Did that monster threaten you in any way?!"**

**Sofia gave him a surprised look. "You mean the guy with me? He's not a monster…" _But he has threatened me enough for me to lose count_ , she thought amused.**

**"Oh Dear, you must be so frightened that you're afraid to tell the truth," he put his hand on her left shoulder, continuing, "It's alright, miss. No need for you to fear—"**

**She shrugged his hand off of her shoulder and looked at him with her cool, intimidating expression. "What the hell are you talking about! You actually think that because he's not human he's immediately a monster?!" she said in a harsh tone, but kept her voice leveled.**

**"But he's a freakish monster! Things like him are always trying to destroy the Earth. He looks like an alien of some sort…you should stay away from hi—" the man's raving statement –which he was trying to whisper so Piccolo wouldn't hear—was cut off by Sofia, whose expression went from cool to a scowl and gave the man a look that would turn anyone's blood cold.**

**She stepped closer to the man in an intimidating manner and stated in a venomous tone, "What a fool you are! Do you actually think in such an ignorant manner? That anyone with a different skin tone or appearance is some monster?!"**

**When the man didn't respond and gave her a weird look, Sofia came up with her own answer. "So, because he looks different you think the worst…how fucking provincial! I see that you are one of the many philistine individuals with the querulous, mob mentality so shared by the rest of the small-minded human race here…no wonder this world is always threatened with destruction!" she paused her acid-laced monologue and gave the man a cold once over. "And this flagrant prejudice coming from nothing more than some weird half-breed! Where I'm from you'd be pretty friggin weird to look at yourself," she huffed through her nose as she reached into her pocket and got out the 500 zeni bill. "Here!" Sofia harshly handed it to the wide-eyed man. "I'm taking the mirror just like we negotiated…" she paused, went to the door, then looked back and muttered in a sharp tone, "You should take that money and go buy yourself some dog biscuits, seeing how you're no better than a simple, moronic mongrel that attacks with duplicity and scorn those who go against what isn't considered normal!" The man was left in shock, bowing his head in obvious shame and humiliation for his prejudice assumption. Sofia grunted and stepped out of the room, slightly slamming the door as she went out.**

* * *

 

**Piccolo overheard the ignorant raving of the man from where he was standing, feeling a little annoyed but not at all surprised by the attitude. The thing that did surprise him was how Sofia responded.**

**_Did she just defend me…?! Why would she—_ ** **his mental question was cut off by Nail.**

**'She defended you…and quite well, if I do say. I guess she doesn't take well to other's ignorance, wouldn't you say, Piccolo?' commented Nail in a simple tone.**

**Piccolo grumbled to himself over Nail's usual redundancy, then replied, 'Yeah…why would she even care though. Not like we get along or anything.'**

**'Well…she seemed to take some sort of personal offense to the comment,' he paused as if in thought, then added in a factual tone, 'I believe you two do get along. Just because you're constantly trying to get a rise out of one another doesn't mean you do not get along.'**

**'Humph…' Piccolo didn't know how to reply. He would never admit out loud that he found Sofia intriguing, let alone that for some reason, he actually enjoyed her company.**

**He picked up the end of Sofia's scornful and cold monologue. _She's got one hell of a mouth on her_ , he thought and paused, feeling nagged by his confusion towards her defending him so heatedly to a complete stranger, considering the fact that he'd been threatening her since the moment they met at Gohan's house.  _Why does she care?_**

**He heard a door slam and looked up, seeing Sofia walk over in her characteristic long and fast strides, walking past the overly cluttered objects and furniture of the small store. Her expression was an aggravated scowl, with her nose wrinkling as she mentally cursed the man's offense. Piccolo couldn't help the thought run through his mind; even with such a grave expression, Sofia still had this unique beauty that he had never seen in any other person. _She actually looks fierce and dangerous_ , he thought in his own admiring and interested tone. As soon as the thought went through his mind, Piccolo froze. He realized quickly what he had been trying to deny.  _Damn it…could Nail be r—_**

**'Piccolo…what are you thinking?' asked Nail suddenly, pulling his counterpart out of his own thoughts.**

**'I'm thinking about how I'd really enjoy kicking your ass one of these days. It's none of your damn business what I'm thinking!' Piccolo snapped in a snide tone.**

**'You know, Piccolo, I really do not enjoy being the target for your misdirected anger. Just because you're losing grasp on the denial over your feelings for Sofia doesn't mean you can take it out on others,' responded Nail in a sharply aggravated tone.**

**Piccolo could only growl menacingly at the other Namek, feeling the embarrassment wash over him like a icy breeze. _What the hell! Why do I get bothered when he says shit like that?! This is stupid…_**

**His mind flashed back to when he had grabbed Sofia by the chin and addressed her by her name. He had looked into her alluring, dark chocolate eyes - which seemed to hold so many of her hidden feelings and whatever pain he had seen during her monologue in her kitchen - and wondered how much those endless pools concealed of her true nature. He also remembered letting his gaze wander over her delicate lips for a split second during their last tense moment in her room.**

**He now found himself thinking of what it would be like to kiss those mesmerizing, gentle looking curves that he found to be one of her most distinguishing features. Piccolo then remembered the feeling of her lips on his cheek and the feeling of her embrace when she caught him by surprise, and found himself feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. He agitatedly shook his head, trying to eliminate the thoughts and feelings that she was causing him; thoughts and feelings that were as alien to him as the reasons for them in the first place. He growled deep in his chest, and in a contemptuous tone, thought, _Whatever this is… there's no way I'm letting it affect me!_**

**He made his mind a complete blank as Sofia walked over and passed him going to the mirror, the anger on her face drawing back to her cool and stoic expression. She seemed to be too deep into her own thoughts to notice Piccolo's strange demeanor, or the way he was looking at her. _Just what I need! Another weakness working against me… she's worse than Gohan when he was a sniveling little brat!_  He mentally growled and paused his exasperated train of thought as he gave Sofia a once over. Her back was to him, since she was looking into her backpack in search for the capsule case. He once again flashed to Sofia kissing and embracing him, and promptly tightened his fists and ground his teeth from the conflicting emotions.**

**He walked over a little to the left and remained behind Sofia as he took in the fact that he would be stuck in an endless space an entire year with her. He wrinkled his nose into a sneer as he thought, _Can't wait to get this over with so I'll never have to see her again!_**

* * *

 

**_What a douchebag! I thought my ki was going to blow through the roof…_ ** **she fumed as she slammed the door behind her. _GOD I HATE THAT! Such ignorance and retardation; the only one who can say anything about the Green Bean is me, and then I only mean it in fun._  She wrinkled her nose as she remembered what the man had called Piccolo.  _"Freakish Monster!" Grrrrrr! So narrow-minded. He should talk!_**

**She walked past Piccolo without even noticing his aggravated glare, letting her thoughts wander over to a subject she'd been trying to ignore as she walked over to the mirror. _Hope Piccolo isn't pissed… he said so many—_  she paused as she got her backpack and began looking into it for the capsule case.**

**_"Why do you care what I feel? You don't owe me anything, Sofia…."_ **

**Piccolo's words ran across her mind, fueling the nervous beating of her heart as her stomach tied into a knot. _He makes me feel so… different! He must like me deep down to have said what he said. Jeez, WHAT AM I SAYING! Maybe I picked up a wrong signal from him in my room…and he was actually just being nice. Hmmmmm…._  She paused as she got hold of the case and pulled it out of her excessively-filled backpack; she suddenly remembered what happened after he had said what he said.  _Saved by the necklace! I really do need to find out what's the deal with this thing,_ she thought as she grabbed the pendant and held it in the palm of her left hand and looked down at the garnet stone. _I can't forget to ask Kami about my ki not being able to be sensed…it should be quite handy in battles._**

**She continued her train of on-going thought as she went about encapsulating the mirror. After putting the now filled capsule back in the case with the others, she couldn't help the faint blush taint her cheeks as her thoughts took a lustful turn. _Whether he likes me or not—but I think he might…just a little bit— I can't wait to be locked away with that Sexy Namek!_**

* * *

 

**Piccolo stood impatiently off to the left side of the mirror as he drilled his intense gaze into the back of Sofia's head. She had just put the case in her backpack and settled it on her back, then turned around to face the brooding Namek.**

**Giving him a determined look, she boldly stated, "Well, Green Bean, time to get back to the palace in the sky. Hope you're ready for a full year of training, seeing as I plan to give you a run for your money."**

**Piccolo snorted obnoxiously, and chuckled cockily. "You might have some impressive abilities, but you're still going to eat plenty of floor when we spar," he paused to read her expression, and saw she was glaring at him fiercely, "I'm pretty sure you're all talk, kid."**

**_He keeps calling me that! Humph…and he means it in a completely different way then when he calls Gohan kid_ ** **, she thought, irritated. _It's become very clear to me that when he calls me kid it's as a snide term, not one of affection… I don't like it. At least when I call him Namek it's with affection!_  She huffed at her deductions, and walked past Piccolo to the front entrance of the hut.**

**She suddenly turned and looked towards Piccolo with a devilish look in her eyes. _DAMN SEXY-ASS NAMEK!_**

**Piccolo looked at her in his stoic manner and crossed his arms over his chest. He then gave her an all-knowing smirk as he said, "Well go ahead, kid. I know you're going to throw a verbal tantrum and insult me. Nothing you say is gonna get a rise out of me."**

**Sofia gave him a devilish smirk to go with her look as she stated in a mock seductive tone, "What if I told you I only have the deepest affection for you, Namek?!" She walked towards him with confidence and a slight swing of her hips in her stride, which Piccolo noticed. "That I find myself..." she stood in front of Piccolo with her hands on her hips, gazing intensely into his endless black pools, "having to try and not molest you in every conceivable way."**

**Piccolo's eyes went wide as dinner plates and his posture became rigid. He parted his lips as if to speak, but only a strained grunt slipped out. His complete expression betrayed the shock that the provocative comment caused on his iron composure.**

**Getting the reaction she wanted, Sofia inched herself closer to the awestruck Namek. She raised her index finger and traced his delectable lips with her pointed fingernail, as she stated in a low purr, "No need to get all enticed…I was only messing around." She finished off with a sensual chuckle as she turned around and walked back to the entrance.**

**Piccolo simply watched her walk away, still at a loss for words. Sofia turned around as she got to the cash register at the entrance; their eyes connected in a searing gaze. She smirked madly and in an exaggerated voice, remarked, "I believe I got the needed "rise" that you mentioned. That means I WIN!" She threw her arms cartoonishly in the air, squealing, "Woo hooo, one tha nothing!"**

**She continued to laugh in a bold and flagrant fashion as she walked out to the road, leaving Piccolo completely baffled over how he should react to such a display.**

**'Piccolo…are you alright? You seem overwhelmed,' Nail couldn't help but chime in.**

**Piccolo's left eye twitched from the mental damage Sofia's hormonal statements were inflicting on him, but managed to reply to Nail. 'What in Kami is wrong with her?! One minute she's tearing into me with that smart-ass mouth of hers, then she does shit like THAT!' Piccolo stated in a generally conflicted tone.**

**'My goodness, Piccolo. You mean to tell me you don't see it?!' said Nail, surprised.**

**'GRRR, SEE WHAT?!'**

**Nail sighed in a sagacious manner, then replied factually, 'It is clearly obvious that Sofia has a deep attraction towards you, and that her challenging and provocative remarks and actions— especially what she just did— are her own unique way of being flirtatious with you.'**

**Piccolo's eyes went wide from Nail's deduction. 'Bullshit. No way that's what it is!' said the stubborn Namek in denial.**

**'Huh. Fine, believe what you want, my friend…but that is the reality and you're denying it because you like her and you don't want to admit it,' Nail replied simply.**

**Piccolo growled menacingly and began to walk to the entrance. 'You don't know what you're talking about! Just shut the hell up, would yah?!' he replied in his gruff tone. Nail went quiet, deciding not to create an unneeded argument with his aggressive counterpart.**

**_There's no way that can be true. She does that shit to get on my nerves, that's all! Especially after the things I said to her, why would she be attracted to me? I'm just an anime character in her realm…_ ** **His train of thought trailed on as he walked out of the store.**

**He saw Sofia with her back turned to him, looking towards the east. _She has a completely different life. It would be pointless to—_ he paused and shook his head.  _It doesn't matter…she'll be gone when all this is over with._**

* * *

 

**_I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT! I don't know how I had the guts to do it, but it was fun as hell. He's probably still twitching in there, hehe…_ ** **she mentally remarked in a giddy way. _Man, I hope I wasn't too obvious! I just couldn't stand him knowing that I have the HOTS for him. I really don't know how I let myself lose it like that…_**

**She looked eastward as she suddenly wondered what Gohan could be doing. _Probably studying. Poor kid, all he does is study and watch his dad die ALL THE TIME! At least he has friends to count on when he needs companionship… friends like Piccolo—_  she cut her internal monologue off when she felt like someone was staring at her from behind.**

**Sofia turned around. _Speak of the SEXY-ASS devilish Namek!_**

**Piccolo's expression was chiseled into his usual scowl as he stared at Sofia. She walked over, not exactly sure what to expect from the unamused Namek looming in front of her.**

**She stood next to him and gave him the goofiest smile that resembled something Goku would do. Piccolo rolled his eyes. "What the hell are you doing?!" he asked in an irritated, gruff manner.**

**"Well, I've always noticed that when Goku does this goofy-ass grin nobody can stay mad at him, so…" Piccolo shook his head at her inference, so she cocked an eyebrow, dropped the grin and continued, "so I figured you would refrain from kicking my ass. That's understandable, isn't it?"**

**"I wasn't planning on kicking your ass— not right now anyway. I challenged you and you got me…it was fair," he replied stoically in his deep grumbled tone.**

**Sofia gave him a look where her eyes and mouth shaped into little ovals as she mouthed "oh." She then gave him a grin as she remarked off-handedly, "I did get yah good, now that yah mention it!" She got a murderous look from Piccolo. "What?! I was simply agreeing with you…no need to get all pissy," she replied and immediately dodged Piccolo's arm as he lunged at her in order to grab her by the shirt.**

**"Grrrrrr, you're really asking for it, you know that?!"**

**Sofia smirked at him. "Come on Piccylow! I was just kidding…" she remarked in her goofy tone.**

**Piccolo contemplated grabbing her and shaking the life out of her body, but quickly decided to restrain the urge and remember her offense during their first sparring session. "Alright. Enough of this shit! Lets get back before the old geezer starts drilling into my head," he stated in a rough tone, gave Sofia a stern look and levitated upwards.**

**"Humph." She looked at him a bit amused and followed his lead.**

**They were soon heading northeast, a little away from their initial course, in complete silence. Sofia admired the scenery for a while, but then found herself peeking out of the corner of her eye at the brooding Namek flying next to her.**

**She began to let her mind wander over the things Piccolo had said in her room during their fight. _"You're nothing…just like me"—"Nothing about me is true…"_  Those remarks stood out in her mind; the swirl of emotions she suffered was immediate. Curiosity over what he felt now, remorse for what occurred, indescribable urges to comfort him, and many other emotions were invading Sofia.  _What if he's still hurt? I mean he has to be. He'd never admit it, but I know that it should still be bothering him._  She mentally sighed.  _No one has ever made me feel this way! I feel like I'm drowning every time I look into his eyes; they consume me, just like my feelings are consuming me — GOD DAMN IT! Why am I THINKING like this?! He's a Namek, an asexual Namek that could and would NEVER be attracted to me! I need to be realistic about this, especial—_ a sharp buzzing that began at the far left side of her skull cut off her thought. It was very sudden, almost like a flash or a surge of energy that shot up in her mind then disappeared. Sofia stopped in mid air and scanned the area behind her.  _What the…_**

**"Why did you stop?" Piccolo's baritone voice pulled her away from her scrutinizing glare of the forest below.**

**She looked towards him with a solid expression. "You didn't feel that slight surge of ki behind us?" she answered him with her own stoic question.**

**Piccolo gave her a judging look and snorted arrogantly. "So you can sense ki now. Is there anything you don't do, like keep your mouth shut perhaps!" he remarked in a smug tone with a scoffed undertone.**

**"Grrrgh! For your information, Namek, I figured out how to fly, create ki and sense ki in the span of 20 minutes! I'm a lot more resourceful and capable than you give me credit for," she remarked sardonically and crossed her arms.**

**"Well you should get your mental radar checked cuz I didn't feel anything," Piccolo cynically retorted.**

**"Yeah…you wouldn't feel a thing, at least that's what you want people to believe!" Sofia blurted out coldly. She immediately felt the flood of regret wash over her as the sentence flew out of her mouth. _Oh shit! I can't believe I said that!_**

**"What?!" Piccolo's eyes were narrowed as his voice leaked out in a hiss.**

**Sofia tried to divert her gaze, but Piccolo's smoldering eyes bore into her own, and she found herself submerged in the onyx pools that suddenly betrayed an emotion she hadn't expected to see. It was only there for a split second before it faded away into the dark recesses of his soul, but the emotion she saw was undeniable.**

**Pain.**

**Her heart summer-salted in her chest. She dropped her arms to her sides and looked towards Piccolo with complete guilt etched in her expression. "Piccolo…I didn't mean that. I-I just—" she broke off and found herself not being able to look him in the eyes. "That was cruel and terrible for me to have said…" She looked at his emerald visage. Piccolo did not betray any emotion. "I'm s—" She was cut off by the sudden shout that came from her far left, just behind her.**

**"SOOOOOFIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

**Sofia turned just in time to get glomped at full speed. Coarse Saiyan hair brushed roughly against her face as her surprised expression melted away.**

**"ACK! FLYING PORCUPINE!" she goofily shouted as she pushed the person off of her, already knowing who her attacker was.**

**"Hahahahaha _—_ Hey! I know I need a haircut, but I'm no porcupine," he gave her a small smile. "I just finished my homework and came out looking for you guys, and then I saw you flying past. Just thought I'd test your sensing capability and surprise you," Gohan stated with a grin as he scratched the back of his head in the characteristic Son style.**

**"HAH! As you can see, my senses are VERY sharp, considering I sensed you and you still snuck up on me," Sofia smirked as she adjusted her backpack on her shoulders and straightened her shirt.**

**"Hehe—Hey, How was it at Kami's Lookout? Did you find out what you needed?" inquired Gohan.**

**"Kinda. Basically, I'm the reincarnation of a 300 year-old demon priestess warrior and this necklace will help me realize my true power and _potential_ ," she sarcastically stated while making quotation marks with her fingers.**

**Gohan nodded as he tried to follow what Sofia had just stated. "So, that would explain why it was so easy for you to learn how to fly and sense and use ki. Hm, cool. Don't think I understand the first part, though."**

**Sofia nodded. "Yeah, I felt the same way. The problem is, I have a lot of questions that still need answers," she stated coolly.**

**Just as Gohan was about to reply, they were both snapped out of their A and B conversation.**

**"AHEM!"**

**They both, simultaneously, looked to the side to see a slightly annoyed Piccolo sulking with his arms crossed, floating not even 2 feet away from them.**

**"…"**

**Sofia and Gohan sweatdropped. _Ah man! I completely forgot about Piccolo. Damn, I'm a freaking retard…_**

**Gohan recovered from his surprise before Sofia. "Oh, hey Piccolo! Didn't see yah there, ah-hehe…" Piccolo's icy glare managed to cut Gohan's friendly attempt, causing the young half Saiyan to bow his head meekly.**

**Feeling the awkward tension, Sofia decided to dive right in between it. " Um, Gohan, Piccolo and I are going to be gone for a day or so. If anything happens, just do what you would normally, ok?"**

**"Ok, sure." Gohan's expression showed confusion, but then took on a sly look as he said in an insinuative tone, "Where are you two going that you'll be gone a day?! I mean, if you guys want to be alone—"**

**"Gohan! I'm gonna SKIN YOU if you finish that last sentence!" said Sofia in a hiss as she glared daggers at the half Saiyan. Piccolo, not understanding the innuendo, raised a brow ridge and grunted.**

**"Eek _—_ I was just kidding." Gohan nervously paused, then continued with curiosity, "Where are you guys going, anyway?"**

**Sofia was cut off from answering as Piccolo chimed in, "We're going to a place where we can get a year's training in one day."**

**"Wow!" Gohan scratched his chin. "Why?" the young half Saiyan asked innocently as he stared at Piccolo, then back at Sofia.**

**The brooding Namek huffed, becoming impatient, and was about to scold Gohan when Sofia cut in, "I need to train in the shortest time possible. What better place than in a chamber where I can train the equivalent of a year in just a day."**

**"That's true…" Gohan's face lit up as he piped up, "Hey! Can I go too? It'd be really cool to get some training done before dad comes back." He gave Sofia a look that asked for approval.**

**Piccolo looked towards Sofia, wondering what her answer would be as well.**

**She sighed, making it clear what she would be replying. "Sorry kid, but only two people at a time can go into the chamber."**

**"Oh. That's ok," replied Gohan with his expression showing slight disappointment.**

**"Hey, stop pouting. It's not like your mom would let you go anyway. She'd rip us a new one if you went off training with us for what would be a year," she stated coolly, then continued "Besides, you and your dad will train in the chamber later on."**

**Gohan's eyes went wide with amazement. "Really?! That's so cool…hehehe, I keep forgetting you already know what's gonna happen before it does," Gohan stated sweetly.**

**Piccolo grunted and gave Sofia a knowing look. She was about to say something to Gohan when a strong breeze blew by, rustling her long hair and causing her long bangs to caress her face as they fluttered in the wind. Piccolo's cape also fluttered in the breeze, revealing the dirty footprint on the back of his cape.**

**_Oh Crap! Forgot all about that_ ** **, she thought sardonically and tried to remain nonchalant.**

**Gohan cocked an eyebrow at the sight. "Hey Piccolo…" Sofia's eyes went wide. _Don't say it! Don't point it out!_  She mentally shouted as she made subtle gestures for him to stop, which were unseen by the young half Saiyan.**

**"…you got something on your cape," he pointed out. _DAMNIT!_**

**"Humph?" Piccolo began to turn his head to verify what his old pupil was saying, when Sofia whooshed behind him, grabbed his cape and began to slap/brush the footprint off in a frenzied manner.**

**"Haha! It was nothin', just some dirt! You must've picked it up when we left," she chimed with a higher inflection in her voice as Piccolo and Gohan gave her curious stares. "Ah-hehe…" she realized she was still holding Piccolo's cape in a light grip and let go, then faded out classic-anime style and went to be next to the young half Saiyan.**

**"Ooookay! Well, I'll let you guys go." He looked towards Sofia. "Good luck!" he chimed, then whispered, "Considering Piccolo isn't the most nicest, most patient or the easiest sensei, you're going to need it!"**

**"You don't have to tell me twice. I saw how he kicked you around before the Saiyans got here," she replied and smirked.**

**"Yeah, but I didn't spend the entire day verbally taunting him," was Gohan's witty comeback he gave with a grin.**

**Sofia sweatdropped from the realization, knowing that Piccolo was going to get to vent all his animosity towards her as soon as they started training. _QUE RICO! Once again… I'm screwed!_**

**"Seeyah guys! Don't kill each other," Gohan remarked in his happy-go-lucky tone.**

**"There isn't any guarantee that we won't, kid," remarked Piccolo.**

**Gohan laughed, surprised that his old mentor said a joke and didn't even realize it. _She must be rubbing off on him_ , thought the young half Saiyan as he waved at them and got ready to blast home.**

**"Wait Gohan! I almost forgot," said Sofia with a smug undertone, which Gohan didn't pick up.**

**The naïve but sweet look on Gohan's face was priceless as he turned around to look at Sofia. "Oh? What?"**

**In a flash, Sofia practically phased over to Gohan, put him in a headlock, and started raking her knuckles back and forth on his scalp. "Hah! This is for that wise-ass remark back at your house!" she shouted.**

**"Hahahahhaha, that's not fair! You snuck up on me _—_ and I was only telling the truth. Quit it!" shouted Gohan in amused defense.**

**"Not 'til yah promise to quit the innuendo!" she said in a mock growl. Gohan kept giggling and trying to squirm out of her grip.**

**"WOULD YOU TWO CUT IT OUT!" roared Piccolo, suddenly. Sofia and Gohan froze in surprise and stared goofily at the scowling Namek.**

**"Grrr. Kid, you better get going." Sofia released Gohan from her fierce headlock and playfully ruffled his wild Saiyan hair.**

**"Alright. Seeyah!" Gohan waved goodbye once again, then blasted off towards his valley home.**

**Sofia watched him jet off until he became a mere dot in the afternoon sky. "He's such a sweet kid," she said out loud, in her apathetic tone.**

**"He's been through a lot. I don't know how he can do it."**

**Sofia looked to her side to see Piccolo hovering next to her, arms crossed, stoic expression with a thoughtful glint in his onyx gaze, still watching his young best friend cut through the sky miles away.**

**Sofia's heart tensed. _"Yeah…you wouldn't feel a thing, at least that's what you want people to believe!"_  Her hurtful comment shot through her mind, and the memory of Piccolo's pained gaze made the flood of regret submerge her once again.  _I still have to apologize. I need to find out what he's feeling_ , she thought, determined.**

**"Piccolo. I didn't get a chance to apologize for…" she paused to read his expression. He wasn't even looking at her, or giving any sign that he was even listening to her, he just stared straight ahead. "I didn't mean what I said before." Still no reaction. "I'm sorry," she whispered solemnly.**

**"Keep your sentimentalities to yourself." She stared in surprise at him. He turned his head towards her and gave her an intense glare, his features set into apathetic stone. "Your apology doesn't matter…it was the truth," the initial harshness of his voice faltered, giving way to an unreadable tone as he muttered the last words. His intense glare softened for a mere instant before he self-consciously looked away.**

**His words jolted her. "Piccolo, why would you say that? I don't—"**

**"It's unnatural how you know everything about me. What you said…it was right. You know exactly what to say, without even knowing or meaning to. It's just—" he paused and looked into her eyes. "Why do you care?" was his sincere question.**

**"I—what do you mean?" Sofia was drowning in his intense gaze, utterly confused over what he was trying to say.**

**"I'm nothing to you! I'm just a fictional character in your realm. Why do you care?!" he heatedly stated.**

**The heat began to rise within her. "PICCOLO! You're NOT just some fictional character!" Sofia shouted at the now wide-eyed Namek. "You've never been that to me! Everything you've done makes you a person of honor and respect in my eyes, so you are something to me and to countless others."**

**"But, why…"**

**Sofia looked up incredulously at Piccolo. He was genuinely curious and confused by her statement. She could not believe that after everything she blurted out, Piccolo asked such a naïve question.**

**"YAH GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" she practically roared in response. "The person YOU ARE is why I care! There's so many aspects and _—_ and facets to who you really are deep down that I'm drawn to…so I do care about you, yah simple-minded Namek!"**

**Her exasperation caused her crimson aura to flare up, seeming to seethe around her frame without her even realizing it. Sofia's frenzied statement had just dawned on her, and so did Piccolo's surprised expression. "Ah—um, I…" she faltered and bowed her head in slight embarrassment. Her aura died down, then faded away.**

**Piccolo was completely awestruck. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape at the spectacle that was Sofia. After regaining what was left of her composure, she glowered at him. _This is exhausting!_  She growled in her mind.**

**"Now listen. I don't want to hear anymore of "I'm just a fictional character, nieh, nieh, nieh, blah, blah, blah" bullshit! If you were just a fictional character I wouldn't be talking to your ass right now, would I?!" she harshly spat in a cynical and terse edge. "Now if all that shit is cleared up and out of the way for good, we should get our asses back to the Lookout."**

**She turned from him and prepared to blast off, but the ever-brooding Namek was back with a vengeance.**

**"WHAT THE HELL?! You think you can just have a fucking conniption and then cross the line with that wise-ass mouth of yours!?" Piccolo's gaze was one of pure ire as he stared hostilely at her.**

**"How about you do me a favor, and ZIP IT, NAMEK! Or do you need me to draw you a diagram for that?!" said Sofia in an acid laced tone, turned around, and was about to take off at full speed towards the Lookout, when she was suddenly gripped by the shoulders, halting her brusque departure.**

**Her back was then pressed against Piccolo's wide chest, his arms holding down hers, hindering her from moving. She gasped in surprise, the close contact being the last thing she expected.**

**"Why do you always do that?!" his gruff, baritone voice was at her right ear, his warm breath stirring her long strands of hair and causing them to brush against her cheek.**

**She was stunned. His tone was stern, but in some way very sensual to her. A slight tint colored her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "Do what?" she awkwardly whispered after seconds of tense silence.**

**"Whenever you open up about something and you start to talk about it, you suddenly become belligerent and abrasive, then you always try to storm off with the last word!" he grumbled in aggravation, suddenly realized he was still holding her against him and harshly let her go to distance himself from her. "And what was that "so I do care about you" before your bitch-attack?!" was his menacing question.**

**She turned to face him, fierce ardor burning in her eyes. "Whaddaya mean what was that! It was the answer to your asinine question!" she protested, regaining her challenging and intimidating demeanor.**

**"I didn't ask you if you cared about me! I asked why you cared," was his growled reply.**

**_Holy crap...he's right! I just admitted that I like him_ ** **, she thought in a panic, trying to come up with a valid explanation or excuse. After deducing that she had no outlet for a scapegoat answer, she came up with a simple answer.**

**She floated towards him, all the while gazing into his ink black depths. "Why I care…it's because I care about you. I don't like it when you talk about yourself like you're not important! You are—" her emphatic tone faltered, and so did her ability to look into his intense pools of onyx. She bowed her head meekly, catching sight of his left hand. She unconsciously reached out to his hand and held it in a gentle grip, then she lightly squeezed it, as if to reassure herself. "You're important to me…always," she muttered in a wistful tone, whispering the last word more to herself than to him.**

**This just wasn't Piccolo's day. He once again was baffled by the enigma that was Sofia. She kept proving to him that she didn't fit into any prescribed mold _—_  that she was completely unique and her depth delved into many forms. She was like a rose before bloom to him. No one had ever said such…he couldn't even think of a word to describe with justice what her words were.**

**He returned her intimate gesture by squeezing her hand gently. He found himself contrasting his large emerald hand with her petite tanned and black-nailed hand. His basically dwarfed hers by comparison, completely shielding hers with his own. He surprised even himself when he reached over to awkwardly cup her face with his right hand, allowing him to be submerged in her mesmerizing brown pools.**

**_No one has ever…_ ** **Even in his thoughts he was speechless. His eyes ran over the delicate details of her face, landing upon her luscious lips. A low rumble rose from deep within his chest.**

**Sofia didn't know why she could feel the reverberation of his growl, until she realized that her hands were against his chest, with his left hand holding them there.**

**_Is he going to…?_ ** **Ran through her mind as she stared into his alluring eyes. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone, causing her to flinch in surprise. "Ah-um, heyum…" she muttered in a type of verbal stumble, finally getting Piccolo's attention. Confusion, and embarrassment were clearly etched in her expression, as were on his. Neither of them had realized what they were doing until now.**

**Snapping out of his sort of dazed stupor, Piccolo let go of her face and hands, then with a gruff demeanor, snapped, "You always sucker me into doing shit like that! What you did in that store wasn't enough?!" _It must be one of her psychotic gags. She didn't actually mean any of that,_  he thought, annoyed, concealing what he actually felt, even to himself.**

**Sofia shot him a death glare. _After all that—what an…_**

**"You're such an Asshole!" she practically snarled, turned around, and blasted off at top speed to the Lookout, energy trail flaring behind her.**

**Piccolo grunted to himself, irritated by the weirdness of the situation. He found himself watching her go off further and further away, that is until…**

**'You are such an imbecile!' snapped Nail. 'Do you take pride in your stupidity or are you naturally that daft?!'**

**Piccolo clenched his jaw, trying not to lose his mental composure, and ignored his counterpart. He shot off after Sofia at full speed with every intention of forgetting what had just happened between them, but Nail vowed not to let up.**

**'How could you say something so foolish? You scorned her for not being truly honest, then you accused her when she actually opened up to you. You really have no way with women, Piccolo,' Nail's rant trailed off into Namekian terminology and curse words that annoyed Piccolo more than offended him.**

**'Why don't you shut up and mind your own damn business, Nail!' he growled.**

**'It is my business, you moron! You and I are in this together,' rambled Nail.**

**'What the hell are you babbling about?! I'm the one in full control. And what the hell would you know about women?! You're a Namek just like me.'**

**Nail let out an exasperated sigh. 'Any idiot would have enough sense as to distinguish that what you did was one of the worst things anyone could have done to a woman _—_  asexual or not. You might be in full control, but that doesn't mean your denial is going to last forever! She's attracted to you, and you're intrigued by her. Stop trying to ignore it,' he argued.**

**Piccolo gave Nail a warning growl that he was crossing the line, causing his counterpart to fall silent.**

**The brooding Namek noticed that he and Sofia were only a couple of miles apart, so he sped up to catch up as they neared the tower that's ascent would lead to their destination, Kami's Lookout.**

**As he flew up next to her, he couldn't help but wonder how so much had happened in the span of a day. _What am I thinking. It's always like this, except… this is different. She's different._**

**He came up to her left side, 5 feet distance between them. Her expression was an iron mask of apathy, concealing so much. Piccolo couldn't help having his curiosity peeked every time she looked that way. He mentally grunted. _She's just…complicated._**

* * *

 

**Sofia's thoughts were in a tangle. She'd never revealed herself to anyone so intimately; it worried her. How could she let her guard down so drastically?**

**Her mind flashed to the feeling of Piccolo's semi-embrace. It was a fleeting moment, but for her it felt like time stopped around her when…she tried to wash the memory away with her anger. What was she supposed to feel after what he accused her of?**

**_I'm so pissed!_ ** **She shouted in her mind, clenching her jaw tightly, which caused her lips to tighten into practically a straight line. _How can he be so devoid! It's like what I said was an attack to him. Arrrgh!_  She continued to fume, relieving her aggravation enough for her expression to settle to her serious, stoic mask as she neared the tower that was the first sign for her ascent to the Lookout.**

**She suddenly sensed Piccolo's presence as he moved by her far side. Without even looking, she knew his intense gaze was tracing her over. She ground her teeth in rancor. _How the hell does he have the balls to be looking at me like nothing happened?! Oh wait, he doesn't have any balls… still! He's really getting on my nerves._**

**Sofia bit her lip with her next thought. _This is going to constantly happen. It's just gonna be him and me in there, nowhere for us to go…Humph._**

**They both started ascending through the clouds towards the hidden palace that watched over the oblivious world beneath.**

**She heard his cape flutter close to her so she betrayed a glance to her side. Now the roles reversed. Sofia let her eyes wander over him, without allowing her mood to show through. Piccolo looked straight ahead, as if unaware that she was scrutinizing him with her own smoldering gaze.**

**_So now he's ignoring me. Fuck this!_ **

**With a burst of ki, she shot through the clouds, her hair whipping behind her in the gusts of wind. Not expecting her sudden action, Piccolo found himself having to catch up to her. _Now she's gonna be a fucking brat for the rest of—Kami knows how long! Damn it._**

**The bottom base of the Lookout came into view, both individuals flying at incredible speeds to reach the top before the other did. In a sulk, Piccolo realized Sofia was actually beating him to the punch in that respect, the red energy streak of her ki trail showing the intensity that boiled in her blood. _How could she be so fast?! This is only her second day flying_ , he mentally remarked snidely, Sofia a good 20 feet ahead of him.**

**Through a thick cloud they both ended up flying side by side, then the Lookout's tiled courtyard appeared below them. The first to land was the ever-stoic Namek who landed majestically, with a slight pat of his feet. Sofia made a front flip before landing in a feline-like crouch on the tiled floor, then stood up straight and whipped her long hair back, a soft breeze still stirring her long bangs and brushing them gently across her face.**

**Her landing impressed them both, Piccolo because of the stealth and grace of it, and Sofia because she simply did it. _It's like it was automatic…jeez this is getting eerie_ , was her somewhat caustic thought.**

**The courtyard was empty except for them, something they both wished wasn't the reality.**

**"Humph," she turned to glower at Piccolo, contempt burning in her gaze.**

**Piccolo looked towards her with his characteristic scowl and with his arms crossed over his wide chest, cape slightly fluttering behind him. "What's with you!?" he growled, then continued in a gruff tone, "mad because even with your little flying stunt you didn't beat me here?"**

**Sofia narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Only you would think that was a competition. There are better things to do than play tag, Piccolo. But of course, you're oblivious in that respect," she spat, then gave him a menacing smirk.**

**"Grrrrr!" he stalked over to her _—_ they were both in the middle of the courtyard  _—_  with his fangs bared and stood in front of her in a threatening display. Sofia didn't even flinch when he lowered himself to be eye to eye with her.**

**After a tense silence, he hissed, "You owe me!" and smirked sadistically. "That one goes with all your other fucking comments. When we get in that chamber…your ass is mine."**

**Sofia narrowed her eyes, inched herself closer to him so that their faces were mere centimeters apart, then in a sadistic-sounding purr said, "I look forward to it."**

**He growled deep in his chest and stood his ground. She crossed her arms and clenched her jaw.**

**They stared each other down for what seemed like hours, then a benevolent and gentle voice broke their silent battle. "Well. I was wondering when you two would arrive." Kami had emerged from the palace entrance only minutes after the two had started their aggressive staring contest. He decided that he should break it up since it didn't seem like it would end anytime soon.**

**Piccolo grunted and stepped away from Sofia, not forgetting to give her a glare, as the elder Namek and guardian of Earth walked towards them. Kami came up to stand in front of both of them, a coy smile on his face. "I was beginning to fear that you two had ripped each other's throats out," remarked the Kami of Earth serenely.**

**Sofia and Piccolo simultaneously looked to each other, amusement in their eyes.**

**She looked back towards Kami. "Who's to say we won't?!" she shot smugly, getting a snort from Piccolo.**

**"I am glad you two are warming up to each other," Kami commented simply. Piccolo and Sofia both grunted, that being the least that was going on at the moment.**

**_Oh! I should ask Kami about everything now_ ** **, mentally remarked Sofia. Before she could do so, however, Piccolo stepped forward towards his original half and directed the first of his terse words. "What are you keeping from us, old man?!"**

**"Wow, Piccolo. You're being so subtle; you should be MORE specific!" she remarked sarcastically.**

**"Why don't you shut up and let the adults talk!" he spat, receiving a death glare from Sofia. "Well?! Out with it," he redirected his attention to Kami, who sighed and rolled his eyes at the stubborn, young Namek before him.**

**"I am not concealing anything from you, Piccolo. I can only say that both of you must work together if you wish to be successful in the oncoming battle with that cretin Frieza," was the elder Namek's evasive reply.**

**"Humph! What are you going to do while we're stuck in that chamber? Do you have a backup plan if the battle begins and we're still in there?" inquired Piccolo with a semblance of annoyance in his brooding features.**

**"Well…there are alternate courses of action if that was to occur…" Kami went on to detail different scenarios, which Piccolo would either discard or elaborate on the possibility of effectiveness. This continued for a few minutes, all the while Sofia stood on the sidelines, excluded from the one-on-one of the Nameks in front of her.**

**_Damn this is boring!_ ** **Was her sardonic mental remark. _Hummmmmmmmmmm….Jeez this is boring._  She began to stare at the Nameks, zoning out their conversation.**

**Her gaze wandered over to Piccolo. She mentally sighed, _I can't help it…he's so gorgeous._  She suddenly thought of a way to amuse herself at her favorite Namek's expense, of course.**

**She stealthily faded out, and went to be behind Piccolo, neither of the Nameks noticing her move. Very carefully, Sofia raised Piccolo's cape so that she could get a better look of, as she called it, his "firm ass." _God how I'd like to slap that ass…_  She lowered the cape, and started doing one of the most vulgar, idiotic, and hormonal acts she had ever concocted _—_ she began to simulate as if she was "spankin' the Namekian ass!", which was what she called the act.**

**_Unz, unz, unz, unz, unz, unz—pauwka, pauwka, pauwka, pauwka, paaaauuuuuuw!_ ** **She also mimicked the cheesiest-sounding dance music, in her mind, as she went all out in her spanking routine. She smirked widely and shut her eyes, to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter. _If Raisa could see me now! Haha!_**

**Neither of the Nameks seemed to notice the spectacle, that is, until Sofia let herself forget where she was. Bending her knees, she inclined her left leg so that it could be plainly seen from behind Piccolo. Pulling his attention away from the conversation, Kami leaned over to get a better look of what she was doing.**

**"Yeah, bend over, Bitch!"**

**Sofia froze in mid fake swing, realizing that she had actually said that out loud. She glanced over to see if she had been noticed. Kami stared at her with shocked amusement, while Piccolo glared at her with confusion in his expression over his weighted shoulderpad.**

**She jumped straight up with a rigid posture. "Hah-hehe! There's a perfectly good explanation for this—!" Sofia did an about-face and ran goofily away from the sweatdropping Nameks, squealing as she did so. They watched her run in the direction of the kitchen entrance and disappear behind the corner.**

**Kami snorted. "I believe you have your work cut out for you, Piccolo. She is one…unique individual," remarked the guardian of Earth in a smug tone to his brooding, younger half.**

**Piccolo growled and rubbed the bridge of his nose from the stress. "Don't even remind me," he grumbled in an annoyed tone.**

**After a soft chuckle, Kami turned serious. "Piccolo, I must tell you that you must be very careful when training with Sofia," he said this in a simple tone, as he stared off to where Sofia had ran off.**

**"Humph! Why don't you stop with your veiled instructions and just come right out with it, old man," stated Piccolo as he crossed his arms over his chest, a soft breeze stirring his cape and ruffling the bottom edge of Kami's tunic.**

**Kami sighed and redirected his gaze to his stubborn half. "I am merely telling you not to be your usual "charismatic" self and alienate Sofia to the point that it could jeopardize her training."**

**"If anyone does that it will be her. It's like she has multiple personalities," muttered Piccolo in a sulk.**

**"Piccolo, I am serious! There's no telling what could occur if—" Kami's stern statement faltered.**

**Piccolo scowled, his brow ridges knitted in annoyance. " If what?! Spit it out, old man!"**

**"Her emotions are what will mainly trigger her untapped powers to spring forth. I fear that if she lets her emotions run wild, her transformation could happen all at once. Such occurrence could have extenuating circumstances that could affect her and you...it could kill her." Kami stated this emphatically, slight graveness emphasized in his tone during the last fact of his response.**

**Piccolo's annoyed expression melted away at the last words, replaced with his stoic semblance. "Whenever she's personally attacked, she gets pissed to the point that her powers kick in," remarked Piccolo in his matter-of-fact tone.**

**"Hm. That should be expected. Conflict is normal when placed in the circumstances that you both are going to be in, but you should be…respectful in terms of her private feelings. They seem to be rooted in her psyche, and tied to her true potential."**

**Piccolo grunted. "Is that all of it?"**

**Kami rubbed his chin in thought, getting an annoyed huff from Piccolo. The elder Namek gave him a sudden, coy smirk. "I noticed that her infatuation with you is increasing. Do you plan on reciprocating it any ti—" Kami's "wise" comment was cut off as Piccolo snarled and stormed off, fuming.**

**"You and Nail really want to drive me fucking insane! Never insinuate anything like that again!" was Piccolo's snide remark as he stalked away from his benevolent half, without directing his gaze to him. As he put distance between himself and Kami, he muttered in a low voice, "stupid, crazy old goat!"**

**"I heard that!" was the unamused shout he got from Kami who was glowering at him from the middle of the courtyard. Piccolo turned around, sneered, then turned into an entranceway that led through a smaller courtyard, mumbling unintelligibly the whole way.**

* * *

 

**'Why don't you let your guard down and show some affection to her? You know you want to,' remarked coyly Nail as Piccolo sat down to try and meditate.**

**'NAIL! IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE FUCK UP—!' roared Piccolo to his counterpart.**

**'You'll what?! Beat me up with your threats?' he replied challengingly, then continued, 'you're trying to forget about what happened after Gohan left, and it isn't working…' he said mockingly.**

**'I'm warning you!'**

**'Wait…I should give you some credit. You did hold her in that sort of awkward embrace…then you held her hand and caressed her cheek,' Nail couldn't submerge the knowing tone his words had.**

**Piccolo clenched his jaw, his neck muscles tensing from Nail's reminder. 'That was nothing…it didn't mean anything,' was his harsh, self-convincing statement.**

**Nail snorted, then snickered. 'Why must you always suppress your true feelings?! Stop being a coward and allow yourself to open up to her just as she has opened up to you,' suggested Nail in a cajoling quip.**

**'THAT'S IT!' Piccolo forced his own consciousness to block out Nail, and push his counterpart to the back of his mind. _That should hold him long enough to get some meditation done_ , he mentally grumbled, then attempted to fall into his favorite relaxation practice. Unfortunately for him, the memories from earlier in the day sprung forth from the recesses of his mind, hindering any meditation for the now sulking Namek.  _Damn it!_  He growled mentally.  _Damn her…_**

* * *

 

**_Eeeee! I can't believe I did that!_ ** **Shrieked Sofia in her mind as she ran past a pillar and turned the corner, almost bumping into Mr. Popo who was walking in the opposite direction from the kitchen doorway.**

**"Yikes! Oh sorry, guess I wasn't payin' attention," she muttered.**

**"Oh don't worry about," smiled pleasantly the genie. "You must be famished after flying around the whole day. I whipped something up for you to have before you go into the chamber," he patted Sofia on the shoulder and led the way to the kitchen.**

**"Thanks, Mr. Popo," as if on cue, her stomach growled. "I've been starving for a while now," she said humbly, following the genie into the kitchen, where she was suddenly overcome with a delectable, mouth-watering, and familiar scent. Her eyes went as big as saucers before even laying eyes on the platter placed on top of the table counter in the middle of the immaculately tiled kitchen.**

**"I hope it came out just right. I know that it's your favorite dish," said Mr. Popo in his cheerful tone, gesturing for Sofia to sit and enjoy.**

**"Is that…MOFONGO!?" sputtered Sofia in disbelief and elation, realizing that her favorite Latin American delicacy sat in wait on the high kitchen counter, the seating stool pulled out in preparation for her future feeding frenzy.**

**"Why yes! Before you left I peeked into your likes and dislikes for food, living arrangements, everything so that when you got back I'd have everything in order to your liking," replied the smiling genie, then added, "I always enjoy making new dishes, and your mofongo was by far very entertaining to make. I hope you like it!"**

**Sofia practically dove towards the stool, hopped onto it and grabbed the fork resting on a napkin next to the platter. She sunk the utensil into the piping-hot mashed plantain dome, seasoned with pieces of garlic and small morsels of bacon, then popped it into her expectant mouth, chewing vigorously with an expression that mimicked that of the cheerful Mrs. Briefs.**

**"Mmmm! This is exquisite, Mr. Popo!" she remarked with a genuine smile of approval to the turban-clad genie leaning against the counter edge, happy grin plastered onto his ebony features from her raving review.**

**She continued to gorge herself of the delicious platter, completely oblivious that the benevolent Kami of Earth was watching her from the kitchen doorway she had walked into minutes before.**

**The elder Namek found it curious that a young girl could have so many contrasting personality traits. He began to wonder and speculate the reasons for such an enigma. He decided to find out for himself. As Kami, he had the privileged ability to look into other's psyches; to view memories and the emotions attached to those memories, of course without the person in question ever realizing that such action took place.**

**He reached out with his mind to delve into her own consciousness, specifically the memory branch of her mind. A flood of different memories flashed into his own mind, distorted and unorganized; he got his bearings and began to sort the memories out, allowing them to fall into a sort of sequence.**

**The first memory showed a young girl, about 8 years old, sitting in what looked like the corner of a schoolyard. She was alone, isolated from the groups of children playing and interacting in different areas of the yard during what seemed to be recess. Everything was in 3rd person perspective, in Sofia's reality. The young girl was Sofia in school uniform, sitting in the lotus position and reading a book, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" said on the cover. A far off bell rung, the children began to walk back to their classes. Sofia gathered her things and got up, then began to walk in the direction that the other children were going to. As she passed a group of girls her same age, she was suddenly tripped by the nearest girl, causing her to fall to her floor and for her book to land in the edge of a puddle by her left side.**

**The girls laughed, their eyes blocked out and dark. Sofia picked herself up, indifference showing in her stoic expression. She went to pick up her book, but it was kicked away from her reaching hand. "We don't like freaks in our school!" said the girl who had tripped her, the other girls falling behind her like conspiring minions. Once again, Sofia bent over to get her book, snatching it from the floor just as the girl was about to step on it. She cleaned it off as best as she could, then placed it into her book bag. "Are you deaf or something! Or just stupid," the girls began to laugh. Sofia snapped her gaze in their direction, cutting their laughter off.**

**The memory suddenly flashed to her walking down a sidewalk, her hands gripping the shoulder straps of her book bag. Laughs behind her made her look back, seeing a group with the same girls from the schoolyard. She ignored them, and sped up her pace; she looked ahead of her and saw the girl who had antagonized her. Sofia's eyes went wide at the realization of what would occur, her breathing hitched.**

**She was now being chased. She stumbled, but managed to get up, then someone pushed her down onto the ground. "You think you're better than us, don't you freak!" Sofia struggled to get away, but the group closed in around her, not allowing her to run away. Five or six faces stared at her with maliciousness in their dark eyes. The first hit at her back, then from all her sides, the coarse grass brushed against her; the hits still over her, and so were the laughs and taunts.**

**The memory stream shifted to her walking into the front yard of a house. She has a bruise on her upper cheek and a cut on her chin; small bruises dot her sides and upper back, but are concealed by her uniform. She winces from the pain of her cheek, then walks into the house with her head down, knowing already what her parents would say about her appearance.**

**"Don't tell me you got into another fight?!" She glances up at her mother, then returns her gaze to the floor. "What am I supposed to with you! The school picture day was tomorrow, and you look like a damn delinquent!" Her mother scoffs in anger and returns to her cooking, turning her back on her only daughter. "I don't want any of your excuses. Just go to your room and stay there until your father gets home! He's gonna love this." Sofia flinched from the harshness that spilled out of her mother's voice, then walked down the hallway to her room. She went into her room and shut the door behind her; she through her book bag into a corner and got out of her uniform, wincing every time the heavy clothing brushed against her bruises. She put an oversized shirt on and sat on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and hiding her face in her arms. Her quivering sobs were muffled, her tears dotting her shirt as her emotional pain overwhelmed her physical pain.**

**She suddenly clenched her jaw in anger, resolution gleaming in her moist, brown gaze. "Never again…never," her shaking voice mumbled in a low growl, her form tensing as she inhaled, and then huffed in a heavy breath.**

**The next memory showed Sofia at the age of 13, sitting under a tree reading an enormous book, wearing a different school uniform, but once again in a schoolyard dotted with shady trees. She was isolated from the rest of her peers. The cover of her book said "Vampire Chronicles Vol.1." She was reading avariciously, her gaze scanning pages and moving on to devour the content on the next page. The elder Namek was suddenly distracted by a small group of boys only a little ways away from Sofia; they seemed to be plotting something between their ranks. He paid close attention and focused on what they were saying. "Yeah right, man! There's no way your gonna get that weirdo to believe you," said one of the boys to another young man who had a smug look on his face. "I bet yah that I could; and I say that she'll be putty in my hands. Youz'll see," replied the smug boy. "Fine. We'll be right behind yah watchin'," replied another boy in a ostentatious voice. "Heh! Watch and learn, losers." The young man walked over to the tree where she was, seeming to put on a charming swagger as he got to her side. Thinking that he didn't get her attention, the boy cleared his throat, then looked back at his friends, who were watching 10 feet away. "What?!" muttered Sofia indifferently without taking her eyes off of her reading. "Hey, I've seen yah around and I'd like to see more. How about me and you go to the movies tomorrow?!" Sofia snickered, and without taking her gaze away from her book, said, "so you made a bet to trick me and lead me on for your numb skull friends, huh. Sorry, not interested." The boy's friends began to chuckle at his failure, so he became hostile. "Oh I get it! You're a dyke; that's the reason your blowin' me off, isn't it freak!" Sofia suddenly stood up, causing the guy to self-consciously back away from her. She glanced over at him, her cold gaze shooting to the boy and his friends. "I'd rather be a dyke than hang around with a douche like you," she spat nonchalantly, receiving taunting shouts from the other boys, which were directed to their now fuming friend.**

**A slap rang out, echoing in the schoolyard. The boys gasped in surprise. Sofia's face was to her left, a red mark forming on her right cheek from where the boy backhanded her; the boy sneered, then began to laugh. "So says the freak! Hahahahahahaha!" The other boys began to laugh as well, and to cheer on their friend with random shouts.**

**Sofia's eyes were wide, her jaw clenched in rage. Of all the things that 'they' had done to her, no one had ever slapped her in her face, not even her parents. The ultimate offense; her bottled up anger began to rise, soaking every inch of her mind. In a blind rage, she looked back at the boy, who was still laughing, and punched him square in the jaw, whipping his head back so hard that it threw him off balance, causing him to fall to the ground. His friends gasped and cursed under their breaths. Sofia then began to kick the boy as hard as she could, her fury consuming her consciousness. The boy began to scream and cry, Sofia's attack not letting up at all; it was intensifying. Her violent actions were fueled solely by all the pain she had stored up, and was now releasing upon the one person who symbolized every morsel of what she hated.**

**She began to swear at the boy, whose cries were becoming more frenzied. Sofia just kept kicking, only registering that he was coughing up blood onto the dust ground. After what felt like hours, she suddenly realized that she wasn't kicking anymore. Three teachers barely managed to pull her away from the half conscious boy and begin to drag her to the principal's office. As she was being pulled away, she felt as if coming out of a daze; she saw all the other's faces, some with fear, others shocked as they still stood in the semi-circle around the beaten boy, who was being helped up by one of the nuns. That fear expressed by her actions satisfied Sofia, deep down. It was a triumph in her eyes.**

**The memory suddenly flashed to her in an office. She was standing in a corner, facing a wall with a wooden and medal crucifix nailed to it. She was receiving punishment for what had occurred, being in a Catholic school where the nuns and officials took it upon themselves to inflict the punishments rather than the parents. Her punishment was to face the crucifix while holding a heavy, bulky Bible in each hand, arms extended out to her sides and balancing her full and added weight on one semi kneeling leg, and to keep that posture without moving or dropping the books for an hour while supervised by the principal herself, at her desk.**

**The memory went to her at her home being verbally abused by her parents, Sofia standing in front of them; she was numb to everything. She didn't feel…anything. Her mother suddenly shouted at her; Sofia didn't even flinch. After a long pause, she looked at her parents and said, "If anyone does that to me again…I'll kill them." The seriousness spilled out as acid in her tone, causing her parents to fall silent and simply watch her walk to her room. From that day on, something came alive inside of her; she would no longer fall victim to anyone ever again.**

**That was the most important promise she made to herself, which she has abided by throughout.**

**Kami also saw a sequence of memories that depicted Sofia's creativity in art, her fascination with animation and music, and her growing friendship with a young girl, Raisa. This sequence allowed the elder Namek to see and differentiate the contrasting personality traits that are evident in the actual moment, as he pulled his consciousness back to himself, and watched Sofia interact happily with Mr. Popo.**

**He smiled to himself, although still a little shocked by what he saw. He could not get passed the barbaric punishment placed on her, but managed to push it to the back of his mind, and focused back on the conversation between the enigmatic girl and his long time friend.**

**Sofia pushed the empty plate away from her and drank from the cold glass of water Mr. Popo had given her after she began to eat the scrumptious delicacy.**

**"Ahhh, that was simply delicious! My compliments to the chef," said Sofia after gulping down the remaining water and stretching out on the stool.**

**"Thank you, child. I'm very glad you enjoyed it!" chimed very pleased Mr. Popo as he took the plate and glass away.**

**Sofia rubbed her satisfied "tummy" and then placed her elbow on the counter so she could incline her face. "Damn! I'm full," she said amused, then added, "After that, there's nothing you could do to top the deliciousness of mofongo."**

**"Oh? What about this?" The ebony genie placed a small plate onto the counter and slid it towards Sofia, who at seeing what was on the plate, almost fell over.**

**She suddenly threw her arms cartoonishly in the air and squealed. "Milano cooookiiees, yay!" She pulled her knees up onto the stool and leaned forward to grab one of the delectable cookies and eat it very slowly so that she could savor every godly bite she took, causing it to look like she was a very disturbed person eating a cookie. "MMMMMMMMM! yum," she swooned as she finished the first cookie and reached for another.**

**_She is so strong… I hope it will be enough for her. With what she will endure—her and Piccolo_ ** **_both_ , thought the guardian of Earth with slight worry. He pushed the factors of his hidden knowledge to the back of his mind when he noticed Piccolo stalk into the kitchen via the opposite entrance near the pantry. The stoic Namek went into the fridge to get himself a drink of water, and after sating his thirst, flinched as he caught sight of Sofia, still suffering from a Milano high.**

**Piccolo leaned against the cabinets, arms crossed, and sneered as he watched Sofia munch on the dessert enthusiastically, wrinkling his nose every once in a while with an air of disgust. After at least a minute of building irritation, Sofia glared at the Namek. _I hate it when people watch me eat! Why the hell those he do it if he's so "disgusted"!_  was her aggravated thought.**

**After an intense stare off, Piccolo grunted. "What!"**

**Sofia leaned forward onto the table counter and narrowed her eyes at him, and then suddenly opened her mouth and deliberately showed him a half chewed Milano mouthful balanced on her tongue.**

**"Auuugh! THAT IS DISGUSTING!" roared the gagging Namek in offense as he stormed out of the kitchen, nose wrinkling in utter disdain.**

**"Well whatta hell are ya doin' whatchin' people eat yah bitchy Namek. DAMN!" she shouted after swallowing the cookie content, giving his retreating cape-festooned back a baleful glare.**

**Kami chuckled to himself, just elated by the fact that such a person like Sofia could get one over on Piccolo, and so skillfully. _They'll be great together…I hope…_**

* * *

 

**After her "mouthy" stunt, Sofia asked Mr. Popo where she could find a bathroom. The ebony genie led her into a brightly adorned hallway with decorative murals and patterns delicately carved into the marble walls and tiles. After some paces, they found themselves in front of a hardwood door with matching carvings as the hallway.**

**"If you need anything just let me know," pleasantly stated Mr. Popo as Sofia walked into the bathroom.**

**"Thanks," said Sofia as she shut the door, and then faced the enormous and immaculate bathroom. "Whoa…" the bathroom had another intricately carved mural that began from the tiled floor and spread out up the walls and finally entwined up on the dome ceiling. The bathroom mirror and vanity were gleaming white marble with golden fixtures, the same for the very spacious bath pit and the toilet. Sofia marveled at the incredible magnificence of the room as she used the facilities.**

**_What else would be suitable for the palace of the Kami of Earth… Sweet!_ ** **She thought tourist-like as she washed her hands and gazed at herself in the mirror. Annoyed with her wild appearance, she pulled her brush out and combed her long, dark brown hair until it was to her liking, falling down her back with one long bang tucked behind her ear and the other out; then washed her mouth out and re-applied her crimson lipstick, inadvertently reminding herself of the lipstick kiss she had left on Piccolo's emerald cheek earlier in the day. She sighed, yearning to relive the moment in her room and the one before they had fallen through the rippling portal of the mirror.**

**She snapped herself out of her lustful petition and threw her backpack over her shoulders, walking to the bathroom door, opening it and walking out back down the sumptuous hallway. Sofia wandered into a small garden with a gleaming marble and gray stone water fountain, spurting crystal-clear water from the middle of the Zen-inspiring garden.**

**"Beautiful…" she murmured to herself.**

**"It certainly is." Sofia turned her head to see Kami walking up to her from her right, coy expression etched in his features. He went to stand by her and take in the relaxing scene, his hands folded behind his back. "So…I should assume you and Piccolo had an interesting day with each other," chimed the elder Namek as he glanced over at her.**

**"Pss, that's the understatement of the day!" The guardian of Earth chuckled under his breath. Sofia grinned, but then turned serious. "He found out."**

**Kami looked over at her, calm and serene. "I did not think you would have been able to keep it from him. It's for the best anyway," he remarked sagaciously.**

**Sofia raised an eyebrow, but shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "I guess you're right," she paused. "Oh!" she looked over and faced him. "I still need to ask you about some things," she said in a business tone. The elder Namek nodded in acknowledgement for her to go on. " My ki level can't be sensed. Is there some messed up reason why?"**

**"Hm. It could be that the necklace is cloaking it," answered Kami. "Have you acquired any new abilities after crossing through the mirror?" he inquired.**

**"Yeah. I'm telekinetic and my nails are super pointy now," she replied simply and showed off her fingernails. "That reminds me. When Piccolo and me got to my side of the mirror, I looked like I was still in anime," she stated in a questioning tone.**

**"Really?" Kami rubbed his chin. "I guess that proves another hypothesis I had," he continued.**

**"What hypothesis?" she asked, a little wary.**

**"I theorized that your new abilities and appearance could still exist when you crossed the dimensional line into your realm. It seems that whatever changes you go through will be permanent, even when you cross back into your dimension," he stated in his simple tone.**

**"So, when I go back, I'm going to look exactly like what I'll become here…?! Whoa."**

**"Do not concern yourself with that right now, child. You have a lot ahead of you that needs to be focused upon. Your realizing your true potential should be at the top of the list," Kami emphatically stated.**

**"Kami, are you sure you don't remember anything else about the scroll? I mean, you were the one who wrote it," she inquired skeptically.**

**The guardian of Earth looked her straight in the eyes, his gleaming from the reflected sun mirroring from the fountain. "I unfortunately do not have any recollection of even writing the scroll…it is most curious that such a thing could occur," he remarked with an evasive undertone, looking away discreetly.**

**_Curious indeed…_ ** **thought Sofia, now sure that he was hiding something, but decided not to obsess about it. _If he's keeping it tucked away it must be for the best…not like God could screw me over. At least I don't think so_.**

**She suddenly thought of Piccolo's last threat, and sighed in exasperation. "Um, Kami? I feel a little wary about being locked into that endless void with a Pissy Piccolo. How about some words of encouragement," she remarked sardonically.**

**The elder Namek snorted. "Getting cold feet because of Piccolo's threats, I see. Don't worry. Just run very fast if he goes after you," he said with humor.**

**"Ha-hah! Actually, the threats aren't the problem…" she stated and bowed her head goofily, twirling her hair with her fingers.**

**"Oh?" Kami raised his brow ridges, his inquisitive look urging for an explanation.**

**"It's just, well—I sorta…GAAUUUH! He's sooooo HOTT! I'm friggin' enamored with him and I just want to molest him in every conceivable way! Whatta hell am I gonna do for a year locked away with Him?! My psychotic hormones will either consume me or get me to tie him up so I could have my way with the unsuspecting Namek. JEEZ!" Sofia's angst and lust-filled rant completely caught the elder Namek off guard, causing him to dive to the floor in classic fashion. When she composed herself, Sofia blushed furiously. "Oh God, I'm such an ass!" she muttered in humiliation.**

**Kami sprung back up to his feet with a very amused look etched in his wise expression. "I don't think you are," he stated in his rational tone, then continued, "Do you feel better letting all that 'frustration' out?"**

**Sofia nodded sheepishly. Kami chuckled, then burst into peels of laughter, catching her off guard.**

**"What's so damn funny?!" growled a fuming Sofia.**

**Managing to reduce his outburst to a faint chuckle, the illustrious being in front of her gave her a fangy smile. "I am sorry. It's just the thought of you tying up Piccolo and "having your way with him" is just too much even for my own will to contain," he snorted. "You are just simply too much for an old goat like me to deal with, child," he stated with amusement, smiling.**

**Sofia glared at him, causing the elder Namek to flash his humorous and child like grin. "I don't see why you are so worried, Sofia. Piccolo can be very dense in respect to certain human phenomenons, after all he's still just a young, naïve Namek," commented Kami.**

**Sofia raised an eyebrow, then crossed her arms. "Riiight. For a Namek in his 20s, he's naïve."**

**Kami looked at her curiously. "In his twenties? In Namekian years, Piccolo is about 20, but in Earth years, he is 10 years old," stated Kami, causing Sofia's jaw to drop.**

**"...10? Ten years old?!" Her eyes went wide. "HOLY CRAP I'M A FRIGGIN' PEDO!" she stated and let her composure falter. "I'm such a retard pedo! I completely forgot he's just a few years older than Gohan…"**

**"Um, child? Are you ok?"**

**She twitched. "I think so," she muttered, her left eye twitching. "As soon as my left eye stops twitching I'll be fine. Man…it's getting late. I guess me and Bitchy McGee should get into that chamber; no use putting it off anymore," she said in a cool tone, regaining the little left of her dignity.**

**"That is true," he turned his back and headed to another entrance to the small garden. "Piccolo is already waiting by the door, I'm sure in one of his sulking moods…follow me."**

**Sofia nodded and followed Kami's lead, leaving the garden and going up some stairs that were the only shortcut for getting to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber door and avoiding any forced detours around the lavish palace. They walked a couple of paces down an upper walkway that looked out to the courtyard and then came upon a jittery Mr. Popo as they made it before the wooden door for the chamber.**

**Piccolo was leaning against the wall to the right of the door, arms crossed and eyes closed, his perpetual scowl etching his handsome features.**

**Sofia sighed pensively as she let her gaze wander temporarily over his form. She snapped herself out of her quiet admiration as the perturbed-looking genie walked up to her and Kami.**

**"I'm glad to see both of you; made it in the knick of time," announced Mr. Popo, his expression slowly returning to his characteristic pleasant expression. "I was on my way to find you…"**

**"I surmise that Piccolo has been giving you a difficult time, my dear friend. I just don't understand how he can be so terse," commented Kami in his mock flat tone.**

**At hearing his elder half's comment, Piccolo grunted and opened his eyes, setting his intense glare on the new arrivals.**

**Sofia exhaled the air she had been containing since laying eyes on her infatuation, then let her cool demeanor take control away from her anxiousness. "Lets get this show going, we've pissed most of the day away already…" she paused coolly, but was prevented from finishing her comment.**

**"Seeing as you're the one who pissed the majority of my time away, it would be wise for you to keep your infernal comments to yourself," Piccolo spat gruffly, pushing off the wall and standing straight in his intimidating stance. Sofia rolled her eyes at him.**

**"Kaaamiiiiiii, Piccylow's being mean and acting like a supercilious bastard," she replied mockingly, receiving a snort from Kami and a death glare from Piccolo.**

**The fuming Namek stalked over to her, clenching his jaw in anger. As soon as he was about to exact some revenge for her remark, he was held at bay by a sudden invisible force. Realizing she was using her new ability, he was about to protest, but Sofia cut in first.**

**"I know, I know…that's another one of my fucking comments that I owe you," she turned to Kami, "Thanks for letting me vent all my 'frustration', Kami. Oh!" she paused and began to reach into her backpack, opened the capsule case and pulled out a single capsule with the number 4 scrolled on the surface. "Could you do me a favor and hold on to this? It has the mirror that leads to my reality inside."**

**"Of course." Kami accepted the capsule and placed it in his tunic pocket.**

**"Thanks. Keep an eye on Earth for us while we're gone," she said coolly. "And thanks for the awesome food, Mr. Popo."**

**"Don't mention it," he hugged her. "Good luck!" chimed the ebony genie.**

**"I wish you the best, child. I hope you find the missing answers and accomplish what you came here to do," said Kami wisely, patting her shoulder.**

**Piccolo grunted in impatience. "Would all of you cut the sentimentalities short so we could get going! I'd like to get some training done before Frieza gets here and starts killing everyone off," he harshly stated.**

**"Alriight!" She walked over to him and began pushing him towards the chamber door. "Stop bitchin' and open the door at least, sheeesh."**

**"Grrrr, your really lookin' for it aren't yah!" he growled as he slid towards the door, Sofia still pushing him and using the polish of the marble floor to help in her favor.**

**"SHUT UP AND OPEN THE DOOR, GREEN BEAN!" she shouted as she got him to the door. He turned around to glower at her, a baleful growl rumbling in his chest.**

**"DON'T CALL ME THAT YOU PSYCHO BITCH!"**

**"WOULD YOU TWO STOP IT!" The two rivals froze and went silent. "Now…get in that chamber and don't try to kill each other or threaten each other for the rest of the infernal year, understood?!" commanded the guardian of Earth, receiving curt nods from both hotheads.**

**Piccolo relented and opened the chamber door, holding it open for Sofia to step in first. Surprised by the action, Sofia betrayed a small smile, and looked over at Kami.**

**"Seeyah Kami. When I come back you have to teach me that trick," she remarked smugly, gesturing to Piccolo's sudden, courteous act.**

**"I will," replied humorously Kami.**

**She gave a slight wave, then stepped into the chamber, her mind checking off her mental list of things she brought with her, hoping to have not forgotten anything.**

**Piccolo grumbled to himself, and began to step into the chamber when he stalled.**

**'Remember what we conversed, Piccolo. Keep in mind that she is not from our world and has never been placed in this kind of situation. You should use moderation in terms of—' Kami's telepathic instruction was cut off by an irritated Piccolo.**

**'Yeah-yeah, I heard yah the first time. Quit worrying, old man. I don't intend on enjoying myself and beating the snot out of her like I'd like to. Not that the training is going to be easy, but it won't kill her. I'm 60 percent sure of that,' said Piccolo with slight sarcasm, flashing Kami a devilish smirk before turning back and walking into the chamber, the door shutting until the year was to be completely fulfilled.**

**The elder Namek sighed. "So what do you think will happen between those two, Kami?" suddenly inquired Mr. Popo.**

**Kami looked towards his longtime friend, then stared at the chamber door.**

**"Something that was supposed to happen centuries ago…Everything will finally fall into its correct place, at least I hope it will," he replied in a distracted tone.**

**_I just hope that I have made the right decision, and that they can face what will confront them both_ ** **, he paused in thought, unsure of what could happen, but sure about one thing.**

**_Whatever happens, everything will change…forever._ **

* * *

 

**_I'm a pair of fuckin' clown shoes!_ **

**As soon as the chamber door shut, initiating our year of being isolated in the endless void with each other, I realized that I had forgotten to bring menstrual pads. Of all the things a woman needs, I forgot it! Needless to say, I berated myself for the stupidity of the situation.**

**_What the hell am I gonna do?! Sooner or later I'm gonna start bleeding like a stuck pig, and I'm stuck in this chamber with Piccolo for a friggin' year…Aaauuugh, so damn stupid!_ **

**I bit my lip so to prevent my urge of shouting every single curse word in my vocabulary, then began to check out the living arrangements I'd be stuck in for the next year. I was surprised to find that the little palace of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was different from the way I had seen it on TV. The main room was still the same; the clock and table were identical to what I remembered, but instead of the two purple draped beds with matching purple canopies, there was one bed minus the canopy against the wall to my far right, the headboard resting on the wall. To my left there was an entranceway to another smaller room. To my near right was a small bathroom; a wooden frame was placed into the doorway so that a sliding wooden door came out of the wall for obvious privacy. Straight ahead of me was the pillared opening that led out into the perpetual white void of the chamber.**

**I walked towards the entranceway, mesmerized by the endlessness that existed just beyond the couple of steps out onto the ghostly white floor. Past the bed of the main room was another doorway that led into the kitchen and pantry. I put off my exploration of every aspect of the small palace so that I could let myself be lured by the incredible wonder I was gazing at from the last step before stepping onto the void floor.**

**"This is amazing…" I muttered in awe, my voice taking on a slight echo characteristic in the alternate dimension, feeling a little anxious from the sheer magnitude that stretched out before my eyes. It dawned on me that the temperature was very uncomfortable, and that my limbs felt heavier than normal. _The gravity in here is kicking my ass_ , I thought, annoyed.**

**I had the sudden feeling that someone was standing behind me, which was confirmed when white cape brushed against my left arm. I looked over my shoulder to see a stoic-faced Piccolo gazing out at the endless sight just some steps away from where we were standing. His arms were folded over his massive chest. He sighed noisily and glanced down at me, not seeming to be at all bothered by the heavy gravity. That last fact irritated me, just a little.**

**He suddenly gave me an evil smirk. "Just realizing what you've gotten yourself into, huh." I grunted with faked indifference at that. "Why don't yah try out the gravity and see how much your body can stand," was his command-like statement.**

**I shot him a glare. "So I can get acquainted with the floor? I don't think so, Green Bean," was my smart-ass quip back, which I quickly regretted.**

**"ACK!"**

**Exacting some sweet revenge, Piccolo suddenly pushed me off the step out into the intense gravity-weighed chamber floor. I immediately went down to the floor, feeling like I had invisible bricks tied to my joints that weighed down my limbs and threatened to root me into the floor. The necklace felt like a concrete block around my neck; I practically did an Inuyasha-style "sit"!**

**"Grrrrrrrrrrrr!" I managed to pull myself up, crawl around to face the palace steps, and leaned back on my knees, narrowing my eyes at the smug-looking Namek still in the safety of the palace floor. "Yah…damn…Namek!" I panted in a menacing voice, little-by-little crawling and stumbling towards him, sweat breaking out across my forehead. I got to the steps and off the chamber floor, the weight miraculously disappearing, allowing me to spring straight up and glare daggers at the Demon King himself. "Oh," I pointed at him exaggeratedly. "You're a sadistic fucker, yah know that?!"**

**"I guess that makes it one tha one, kid!" he remarked with a lopsided smirk, retaining his menacing expression. I glowered at him, and then suddenly flashed him an approving smirk.**

**"That was a good one, I do admit it…but now, it's SO on, bitch! HAH!" I challenged in my Vegeta-like tone, and cackled a laugh as I walked away from him, leaving him with an expression of indecisive anger. I took it upon myself to check out the rooms of the small palace, seeing as my roommate was looking like he was gonna blast or melt me with his searing gaze.**

**The first thing I checked out was the bathroom, seeing as I decided to look and maybe by chance find some pads. The wooden door was already slid open, so I stepped into the bathroom; floor was at least a foot higher than the floor of the main room, so you had to step up into it. The wooden doorframe was kind of low, but being that I was so short, I could just step through without worrying about banging my head. The bathroom was small, but very comfortable. The bathtub was across from the doorway. It was a big porcelain tub that mirrored the old fashion style of bathtubs from like the 1930's, and it had a shower curtain that extended across the curtain rod that was joined to both opposite walls. To my left was the sink counter and mirror, which were held up by a wooden cabinet base, and to the right of this was the toilet. On the parallel wall were a towel rack with two towels and some shelves that were stocked with folded towels, shampoos and liquid soaps. After checking in the cabinets for some pads and not finding any, I walked out of the bathroom and went to go into the small room across from it.**

**Before stepping into the room, I realized that everything beyond the threshold was Real—well, that's to say it was like my dimension; that the dimensional line rested between the entranceway of the room. _Just like Kami said._   _The chamber created the dimensional line to balance out my being here. That means that everything beyond this doorway is in my reality_ , I stated mentally, then noticed that the divide didn't ripple like I had expected it would. Curious, I stretched out my left arm and let it pass through to the opposite side. From my forearm down to my fingernails I was real flesh and bone, while the rest of my arm was still anime. As I pulled my arm back, I noticed that the air between the limits of the entranceway threshold kind of swayed and felt cool.**

**"Whoa…" I decided to take the plunge and step completely through and end up in the small room. The cool feel of the air flowed across me, brushing along my skin gently and stirring my hair. The feeling was very brief, but left this surge of an invisible static-like flicker. The necklace suddenly felt lighter. As a matter of fact, so did the rest of my body; was like I wasn't even affected by the gravity of the chamber anymore. "Humph. Weird shit," I muttered and then dismissed the feeling with a shrug of my shoulders.**

**The room was small, dome-shaped, with a high ceiling. I assumed that this small room was added to the palace to be my private quarters, since there was another bed, its size the equivalent of two twin beds put together, draped with a white comforter and two big pillows over to my left with the wooden headboard against the wall. Across from where I had walked through was an arch entranceway that was blocked out by a heavy purple curtain hanging from the ceiling above the arch. At the wall next to the doorway I had come in was a lavish wooden dresser with six drawers, three to the right and three to the left. Another reason that I figured the room was for me to stay in was because it had this air of femininity in its setting and furniture style compared to the main room. I put my backpack on the dresser top and went to lay on the bed, testing to see if it was just right. It was absolutely perfect; not too firm and not too soft, same thing for the pillows. I looked over and noticed a sketchpad placed on a smaller table to the right of the dresser, hidden from sight when you initially walk into the room. There also was a box full of drawing and colored pencils on top of the sketch pad. I got up from the bed and went to pick up the items. There was a small note tucked into the pencil box, so I pulled it out and opened it.**

**_For the times when you feel inspired…or simply need a release._ **

**_—Kami_ **

**I couldn't help the smile cross my lips after reading the letter. I placed the items back on the table and put the note away, kind of as a souvenir, in my backpack pocket. I turned around to go out back to the main room when I suddenly remembered the arch entranceway. I turned back and walked over to the draping purple curtain; grabbed the cloth and pulled it in opposite directions, parting it into revealing the awesome endless white of the void, same as the one I had seen before, except it was Real.**

**"Cool! I can train in my side of the dimensional divide." I gazed out, once again falling into the magnetic spell of wonder that caused one to doubt if such a thing was real. After at least a minute of staring hopelessly into the endlessness, I turned around in direction to the kitchen, but ended up colliding face first with a firm, solid form. I sprung back and found myself gazing at the object of my psychotic hormonal lust… _in the flesh! YUMMIES!_  Piccolo glared at me, but then looked over me, out at the endlessness just outside of the arch.**

**"We'll get to train in your reality…should be interesting," said the sexy-ass Namek flatly, the stoic-ness of his voice echoing in the acoustic-friendly chamber and palace.**

**"Hmph, it'll be cool to see what you can do—actually in the flesh," I smirked to myself. "Should be an awesome sight," I said in my cool tone, hiding my inner giddiness.**

**He gave me a wary once over, then folded his arms over his amazing chest. "We'll start training tomorrow on your side." He suddenly flashed a menacing smirk. "I intend to enjoy every minute of it," he said insinuating the wonderful ass whipping he intended on giving me in our first training session.**

**"Oooooh Piccolo, you're so naughty!" I said in a humorous voice, then added in a low purr as I walked passed him, "Can't wait." I went over to the doorway, smugness displayed in my stride, then glanced back. Piccolo was so pissed I thought he was gonna shoot lasers out of his eyes, then I remembered that he CAN do that, so I gave him a nervous/goofy laugh, turned around and sprinted over hurriedly to the kitchen.**

**The kitchen was as big as my room at home. You walk in and the white kitchen counter and top cabinets are to your right. The stove was at the end of the counter, the fridge to the left of it. Across from me was a wall with a long counter and bottom cabinets that housed the kitchen sink. I walked in to check out the contents of the fridge and to my left was another heavier door. I opened it and found myself inside the pantry, completely stocked with everything imaginable, from canned foods, breads, and even platano (plantains in English).**

**"I guess this is how the food stays fresh for an entire year…there's enough platanos in here to tie me over into the next decade!" I managed to stop salivating long enough to step out and close the door. I opened the fridge, which was stocked with a dozen bottles of water, ham, cheese, everything I enjoyed eating. "Awesome. All this food is mine…having a Namek for a roommate brings more perks than I thought," I said, then sighed, the nagging reminder making me nervous. I cursed myself for the weakness and shrugged the thought away, deciding to go and unpack my shit and get comfy in the fantastic palace.**

**I walked back through the doorway, morphing into my corporeal reality. I never did get used to the skin-tingling feeling I'd get after stepping in and out of the room. Anyway, I noticed that the delicious 3-D Namek wasn't in the room, so I figured he had gone out into the void. I confirmed my deduction when I sensed the he was a couple a yards out into the endlessness.**

**"Perfect time to unpack," I remarked to myself, trying to get used to the slight echo of my voice.**

**I went and got my backpack, removing the capsule case and getting out the capsule with my clothes. I un-capsulized the contents and began folding everything and putting them away in the dresser drawers. I'm a neat freak, so that took some time. After that, I got out my boom box and put them on top of the dresser. Then I got my entire CD collection out and went to sit on the floor facing the wall that was next to the dresser and small table, at the right. I began to organize my CDs alphabetically, a very tedious task considering the amount of CDs in my collection.**

**When I was in the P's, I heard the rustle of the curtain of the archway. I pretended to be oblivious of Piccolo's presence as a sensed him walk over and stand behind me, no doubt trying to see what I was doing. I kept organizing the CDs; guess he bought my act cuz he walked over closer. I could feel his intense gaze wander over my back, as if making sure of something. He must've been really curious about what I was doing cuz the next thing I knew, he's sitting in the lotus position next to me. His right knee slightly brushed my left. I still pretended to ignore him. I felt him give me a glare, but then his attention was brought to one of the CDs that was already aligned in its order against the wall. He decided to reach out and grab the CD, I guess to see what it was when suddenly…**

**SWAAAT!**

**Before his fingers brushed the corner of the CD, I slapped his hand the way a mother would to a rambunctious child reaching for something he's not supposed to touch. I looked over at him with as stern of an expression I could accomplish, considering I just wanted to bust out laughing, then with my arms I shielded the CDs from him, giving him a look that said "don't touch, bitch!" Piccolo's expression was priceless! He had been completely caught off guard.**

**In a flash, he gave me a murderous look and showed of his fangs as he growled in pure anger. "WHO DO FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" he roared in my unflinching face, then inched himself closer in as a menacing manner as I had seen him do so far. He grabbed the side of my shirt and harshly pulled me back so that I would be facing him completely. "Don't you ever slap my hand away again! The next time you even intend to do something like that I won't hesitate to cut your hand off, Do-You-Understand!?" he threatened in a guttural, rage-filled tone, the whole time pointing at me menacingly. When he finished saying the last thing, he had jabbed me in the chest with his pointed fingernail. I didn't wince. I gave him my own fiery glare, my expression unwavering, then I challengingly smacked his hand away from me.**

**"Your idle threats are wasted upon me, Piccolo. Anyone with enough logic would know that you couldn't do any of the shit you're constantly threatening me with because you need me! I'm the person who can give you play-by-play, highly detailed insight on everything that's gonna happen," I said in my intimidating and stern tone, all the while Piccolo glared at me. He was clenching and unclenching his jaw, causing his cheeks to tighten and his smoldering eyes to narrow dangerously. "And even if I didn't have that insight," I continued, "I would NEVER take any of your threats seriously!"**

**Piccolo sat there, grinding his teeth, proving with his harsh silence that I was right. I gave him a scornful smirk. "Now," I turned back to my CD collection, "I'm going to finish organizing my CDs and you're gonna get the hell out of my room and sulk in some dark corner for a while — and before you start hollering at me!" I put my hand up just as he's about to say something angsty, "you should realize that you're a ruthless and powerful warrior arguing in your female roommate's quarters; one sad-looking Namek right now! So, take your uptight ass and get tah steppin', before you embarrass yourself a little more than you're prepared to."**

**FWRAAAAAK!**

**In an instant, my back was against the wall, his black eyes burning into mine as he glared at me, his expression stoic. I glanced over to my right to see his outstretched arm only an inch away from my face with his balled up fist still pressed against the wall behind me. Any closer and he would have knocked me into the next dimension! He huffed through his nose, his nostrils slightly flaring as he did so. I was stuck between him and the wall. He brought his face closer to mine, so that we were only inches apart, his eyes still boring into mine.**

**"You might be right…but if you really want to find out, I dare you to say something else." His voice was dark and menacing, causing chills to go down my spine. I was captured in his searing gaze, completely mute. Satisfied with my silence, Piccolo pulled his arm back, but still kept his face close to mine as he said in a deep tone that leaked venom, "Next time…I'll follow through. I'll let you pass now, so there better not be a next time, Sofia."**

**I loathed the sound of my name at that moment, the way he directed it was the equivalent of having him dig his claws into my chest. I heaved a deep breath, keeping my expressing solid.**

**I wasn't afraid or intimidated by him, even after what he had just done, but…what he said burned me, everything he ever said to me burned deep down, causing me to doubt myself. At those moments I hated myself, hated what I was…and hated everyone around me—except him.**

**His warm breath sent chills across my skin when he exhaled noisily as he backed away from me so he could stand to his towering height, never taking those intense pools of onyx off me. He crossed his arms and gave me one last burning glare as he turned around and walked out over the dimensional threshold into his side of the chamber.**

**When I sensed that I was alone in the palace I leaned back on the wall, defeated _—_  my pulse slowing down from its dull roar to a rhythmic thumping. I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned an arm across them so I could rest my head over it.**

**"Damn…" I muttered listlessly to myself. I let my gaze wander over to my CDs. I mechanically sat back up and started to organize my stuff again, and then I glanced over to the wall I was previously leaning against, my eyes going wide when I caught sight of the menacing, super-wicked crack left from Piccolo's punch. _He didn't even use a quarter of his strength and he made that!? HOLY CRAP…_**

**Managing to pick my jaw off the floor, I resumed the activity I had been doing previously. After that, I decided to get comfortable and take of my sneakers and socks. _FREEEEDOOOM! Yay!_  I love walking around barefoot, especially on cold floors, and the palace's floor was cold as hell! Freed from my oppressive foot apparel, I noticed that my toenails were black, and I don't mean dirty with crud under them, I mean like black as ink! "What the fuck!?"**

**Only one thing came to mind at the sight. "I guess this is another demon trait I've inherited…Hmm?" Curious, I went into my backpack to get my makeup bag; got my travel size bottle of nail polish remover out and a piece of cotton and went to work removing my black nail polish off of my fingernails. After 2 minutes of rubbing endlessly, I removed black nail polish off of my ink black nails. "Jeez…these things are cool, but they're way too long," I said to myself and got out my travel size nail clippers, realizing that it would be very difficult to train and fight with my long pointy nails.**

**I sighed in regret, hating the idea of cutting the nails I had worked so hard to maintain. After putting my annoyance to the side, I tried to cut my thumbnail first, but it wouldn't budge. I tried again, and nothing! The clipper wasn't even leaving a mark. "Damnit…" I forced and applied more pressure. "Just frea-king cut—!" as I forced the clipper to its limits, it broke! The little thingy in the middle that puts the pressure on the cutter cracked, and so did the cutter.**

**"Crap!" I looked at my nails. "These things are like iron—they're unbreakable…"**

**I went on banging my nails against every hard surface in the room, and they didn't give any way at all, and best of all it didn't hurt at all. "Sooo cool! Lets see…I can fly, throw ki, sense ki, and I'm telekinetic. And now I'm starting to change physically."**

**Intrigued, I made a ki ball, watching it spin and react as I made it flicker with my will. Then I got an idea. I went to sit in the middle of the room lotus style, and grabbed the broken nail clippers and placed them in front of me on the floor.**

**"Alright! Lets see if I can move this and make it float." I began to concentrate, realizing that holding something at bay was much easier than moving something. I decided to use my hand as a guide for where I wanted the clippers to move. The thing twitched twice, then moved an inch to the right. I huffed at my accomplishment, then decided to try and move it with my gaze. It went two inches to the opposite side. After a half hour of getting the hang of my power, I started levitating the clippers, something that took a lot of concentration to accomplish. It paid off, because after focusing and willing it with my mind, the clippers slowly and steadily started floating. More concentration to keep it exactly where it was; I was breaking a sweat it was so tedious. Finally, I got used to it and the task began to be second nature, just as long as I put enough focus into it. I started twirling it around and moving it in zigzags. _Pretty...good…just keep focus and—_**

**"What are you doing?!"**

**WHAAAAAAAM!**

**Piccolo had walked into the room and caused me to lose focus and set my attention on him. Big mistake, cuz when I reacted and jerked my head to the left where he had come in from, the nail clippers went too and hit Piccolo just above his brow with such a force that he fell through the doorway back to his side of the divide; it even knocked off his turban.**

**"HOLY SHIT!" I sprang up to rush to his side. He was on his back on the floor, with his hands gripping the injured spot, groaning, and wincing from the pain. The force of the blow surprised me, but I didn't realize it at the time.**

**I kneeled next to him. "Piccolo, are you ok?" I know, stupid question.**

**He glared at me and snarled, letting me know that his answer was a "fuck no!"**

**"Stay here," I commanded him and ran to the kitchen and ran back to him with some ice wrapped in a kitchen towel. "Let me see," I said and tried to part his hands, but he jerked away, so I decided that I should be gentle and patient.**

**"GODDAMNIT PICCOLO, let me see!" I managed to pry his hands away and see the nasty bruised cut that was beginning to swell on his lower forehead. He was glaring at me and clenching his jaw, trying to hide the fact that he was in a lot of pain.**

**As tenderly as humanly possible— for me anyway— I placed the ice over the bruise, causing him to hiss in pain and anger. I positioned myself so that he was looking at me upside down and placed his head on my lap, since I was sitting on my knees, and held the ice in place.**

**"Piccolo I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen, I swear," I said emphatically as I loomed over him, still holding the ice in place.**

**"Grrr! Why should I believe you!?" he hissed at me and was about to sit up, but I managed to hold him in place — don't ask me how!**

**"Because if it had been my intention for you to get beamed with a nail clipper I'd be fuckin' laughing my ass off right now," I replied coolly, giving him a reassuring half smile.**

**He growled deep in his chest and began to glare at me, but then suddenly looked away self-consciously. I slowly realized why he was suddenly uncomfortable. I was holding the ice with my right hand and I had begun to caress his cheek with the knuckles of my left. I didn't even notice what I was doing until he did!**

**I felt my cheeks begin to burn as I stopped the caressing and found myself drowning in his alluring eyes. My heart began to race for the zillionth time of the day.**

**With both of us in the awkward nexus, I took a dive to salvage what was left of the situation. "Hey, um, how 'bout we go to my side of the divide? The swelling is totally exaggerated here and it might not be so bad over there," I suggested. Piccolo exhaled noisily, then grunted in approval. I helped him up and we went into my room.**

**As soon as we were in my reality, I pulled him over to the foot of the bed and sat him on the edge so I could see if there was a change in his fluke injury. The whole time he acted like some caged animal ready to pounce if provoked; it was kind of funny when I thought of it at the time, imagining Piccolo pounce on someone out of nowhere. I suppressed the urge of laughing at my mental image and focused back on the scowling Namek in front of me. Even with him sitting on the bed, he was still a few inches taller than me.**

**"Humph, it's starting to heal, but there's still a little swelling," I remarked in a business tone as I checked him out— in more ways than one!**

**He grunted and watched me, scrutinizing every gesture I made with his intense gaze. I feigned indifference, while I secretly let my own gaze wander every so often over his handsome face; it was also the first time I had seen him without the turban, especially in my reality.**

**This time, I just couldn't help myself. I placed my hands on his cheeks and looked at him dead in the eyes, keeping my expression unreadable. "I really didn't mean for you to get hurt, Piccolo. So, you don't need to be paranoid and think I'm trying to kill yah or anything." I said this with the up-most seriousness in my voice. Piccolo tensed at my touch, and stayed tense even after I let my hands fall away. He didn't reply, he just gave me an intense, stoic stare. His black eyes didn't mirror any emotion that he could be feeling. Sort of defeated, I sighed and began to walk away, when he suddenly gripped my right wrist. I looked back, cocking an eyebrow.**

**He stood up, his hand holding my wrist in a gentle grip. "Why did you do that?" was his whispered question, his tone betraying this innocence that I couldn't help but melt in.**

**I snapped myself out of my beginning mental perversion and realized I didn't know what the hell he was talking about.**

**"Do what—and why are you always asking me questions like that?" I interrogated stepping back so I could face him completely.**

**"Because you're always doin' shit that doesn't make any sense! So why did you care for me after what I said to you?" He said this as he let go of my wrist and crossed his arms, taking his no bullshit stance as he looked down at me with his trademark scowl.**

**"Auugh…! Because it was the decent thing to do," I paused and crossed my arms. "If I let myself be affected by people's words I wouldn't be able to function in life. I can read into people's intentions pretty well…and you're an ass to everybody, so it's not like I should take much offense to the things you said."**

**Piccolo's scowl deepened, and he parted his lips as if to say something, but then he changed his mind and grunted instead. We stared at each other for at least 30 seconds straight. It was like we were in a scowling contest, and neither of us wanted to give up. When we simultaneously sighed, I couldn't help it anymore and I busted out laughing. The situation was too ridiculous for me to keep a straight face.**

**He cocked a brow ridge at me, but then gave me a lopsided smirk, accepting the humor of the moment. I even got him to chuckle a little, that heavy baritone chuckle that makes his eyes take on this sweet gleam, momentarily erasing any signs of past pain and hate.**

**I wiped the laugh tears from the corners of my eyes and started to settle back into my usual attitude. My Namekian roommate uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides, his chuckles dying down in his broad chest. He then brought his left hand up to feel the spot where his bruise was, slightly brushing his antennae back with his palm. I stepped closer to check out his bruise, finding that it was completely healed. My mind instantly flashed to the memory of Piccolo getting beamed with the clippers and I began to laugh again.**

**"Hehehe—man, that was just priceless! You walked in like nothing and almost got killed by a pair of nail clippers, hah-hehehe…" I giggled sardonically, getting a baleful glare from Piccolo.**

**"Shut-up!" he suddenly growled in my still grinning face, cutting my giggles off completely.**

**"Awwwww, Piccylow! Don't get angweee with me," I said in my mock childish tone. Piccolo wrinkled his nose at me the way an annoyed kid would, getting me to grin mischievously at him.**

**He harshly pushed me to the side and walked over to go through the archway that led to the endlessness of my reality, growling the whole way. Before he stepped out of sight completely, he glanced back with his stoic mask back on.**

**"Get some sleep. Tomorrow we're gonna start off early, so you better save up your strength," he stated, then added in a mutter, "You're gonna be needing it!" He turned back around and went out into the endlessness.**

**I mentally sighed, _Yes Yummy Namek Master. I will do as instructed_. I watched him fall away from my sight. Suddenly yawning, I decided to go and take a hot shower and wash my hair that desperately needed it. I went to the dresser and looked for some pajamas. After digging through all the clothes and not finding any, I remembered that I never actually packed any pajamas.**

**"Ah fuck. I'm such a crack-headed baka!" I continued rummaging through a drawer, "What the hell am I suppose to wear!?" After looking through all the drawers and cursing the whole time, I pulled out a tight, white spaghetti-strap shirt and red underwear that was kinda like a short little hot pants. I sighed dramatically. "This is gonna have to do…" I took my "pajamas" and grabbed my bathroom stuff and headed to the aforementioned room.**

**I walked in, shut the sliding door, and continued my shower ritual of getting the water ready, undressing and folding my clothes neatly, grabbing the soap and shampoo bottles, and getting under the warm spray. I washed all my body and couldn't help but smirk at what was so far my favorite perk of the physical changes I had inherited so far. _I never have to shave my legs again! Or anything else—no bikini-line hell, no armpits—I'm so happy!_  I remarked mentally in my over-zealous tone as I began to wash the dust and oil out of my hair from all the flying around during the day and my mountain lion encounter the day before.**

**My mind began to wander. What was the next year gonna be like? Would Piccolo eventually lose his mind and kill me? Or would my hormones take full control, causing me to sexually pounce on my asexual roommate? Questions like these popped up, taking my overly analytical mind into crazy theories. After a while, I let my doubts and worries wash down the drain with the shower suds, coming to the decision that I'd let everything happen in its own way instead of pondering what could happen beforehand.**

**I suddenly thought of how cool it'd be to meet Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, and all the other Z Warriors. Then, I thought of Raisa, and how jealous she'd be if she ever found out I got to meet her hormonal loverboy Trunks.**

**Ok. I should highlight that Raisa is not my lesbian lover or anything. She's like an, acquaintance that I have (not like a best friend or anything). We both have a lot of things in common. I still remember the day we met. After a Catholic school fiasco, which I do not wish to go into, I transferred to a private school just a district over from where I lived. For a year, I was under the radar, only really known as the antisocial girl that hung out in corners reading books and listening to "the devil's music", as some of my teachers put it. One day during lunch, the popular patrol unit of the biggest clique in school began to swarm the "new girl," seeing if she was up to standard for possibly joining their snobbish ranks. "Well hey there! I'm Krystel, this is Stefany and that's Sheneiney. You look like you need a friend," she had suddenly leaned in close to Raisa's skeptical face. "I suggest you stick with us if you want to make it socially in this school! Our social group is the best, and everyone else don't even rank what we are," was the pompous comment of the class president of my grade, at the time. Raisa gave each of them an icy once over; then she cocked an eyebrow. "Social Standards?" she said in a cynical tone, then continued, "Is that what is really important to you guys?!" The others nodded their heads slowly. "WOW! I guess that makes us very different people," said Raisa in her smug/cynical tone, slightly smirking. Everyone in hearing distance went quiet. The three twits stood there with the mouths open. The silence was spanning through the cafeteria, when I suddenly decided to relieve the awkwardness. "YEAH! YOU TELL 'EM—WOOOOH!" I stood up from my solitary table and began to clap ostentatiously and cheer, receiving sneers from the brain dead stooges. "Oh, I get it! Your just an antisocial weirdo like the 'freak.' Too bad!" was the head baka's reply, which her lackeys began to giggle snobbishly with, that is, until I gave them my trademark murderous glare, cutting their squeals off completely. I then stalked over, the intimidation seething in my every gesture. The bitches took the hint and hauled ass out of there; I had a wonderful reputation established over my short temper and the proficient ass whipping I handed out on a needed basis. I got next to Raisa and gave her a smug look. She gave me an inquisitive look and gestured to the fleeing retards. I crossed my arms and stated coolly, "Lets just say my reputation leaves many not wishing to ever piss me off." Raisa gave me her skeptical look. "…oh."**

**Yep. There's the story. We hung out ever since then, but not much anymore seeing as her ass moved to the opposite side of the island. As I got out of the shower, I regretted not being able to tell her about everything that had gone down so far. I dried off and decided to put that thought away, figuring that if I was still alive after everything, I'd fly over and see her, seeing as I was going to keep all the changes from my "demon" transformation.**

**I put my "pajamas" on and decided to blow dry my hair, suddenly remembering that there wasn't any blow dryer, since I didn't bring it. I cursed under my breath as I stared at my soaked hair in the mirror. "Damn it! It's hot as hell in here, and here I am with damp hair. The humidity is gonna suffocate me," I paused my ramble, suddenly getting an idea. _What if I use my ki to dry off? I've seen them do it on the show, and it should work if I concentrate it outwards_ , I theorized mentally. I decided to go for it, and started concentrating to radiate my ki outwards. After 5 minutes of letting it build up, I released it in a pure wave, shooting my aura out with hot energy.**

**I wiped the condensation off of the mirror and found that my little trick worked. My hair was bone dry and straight, draped behind my shoulders.**

**"Yes! Perk numba 2…it couldn't get any better."**

**After marveling at my success, I picked up my dirty clothes and held them under my right arm as I went to the door. Before sliding it open, I realized that I was about to walk out in revealing clothes in front of Piccolo! _Shit! He can't see me wearing this…_  I began to worry frantically, coming up with only one idea.  _I'll just go really fast to my side and jump under the covers before he can see me. Yeah… that's good. Ok._**

**I slid the door open and peeked my head out, in search for my brooding Namekian roommate. I looked to my left and found the main room empty, so I began to tip toe towards the doorway of my room, keeping my gaze out to my side so as to spot Piccolo. As I was about to walk into my room— I was still looking off to the side, I ran into a familiar firm, solid form. I completely froze, my eyes going completely wide. I turned my face, inhaling the earthy dust and sweat scent that I secretly enjoyed so much, as soft cloth brushed against my left cheek. I looked up to a stoic-faced Piccolo, his eyes as black as a starless night sky, antennae creating shadows over his cheekbones. I realized that I was pressed against him with one hand against his upper abdomen, still in anime and he was staring at me in surprise, his body tense from our sudden close contact, still in my reality.**

**"…"**

**"…"**

**I jumped back before he could say anything and ran into my room and got into bed, throwing the covers over myself. I must've looked pretty stupid, this big lump under the comforter. My cheeks burned as I mentally swore at myself. I could sense Piccolo still standing at the door, and I could feel his gaze as it bore into the comforter. Feeling retarded, I stuck my head out from under my hiding place and gave Piccolo a nervous smile.**

**"Sorry…I-um, yah see…" I kept stuttering as Piccolo gave me an inquisitive and innocent look. After six tries to explain myself in a 10 second span of time, my clueless roommate simply huffed angrily and gave me an intense glare, shutting me up.**

**"Stop fucking around and get some rest already! I don't want you unable to train cuz you didn't get enough sleep, so shut up!" Piccolo gruffly commanded, did an about face and walked out of my room to his side of the divide. I could here the patting of his cute brown shoes get to the pillared entrance looking out on the white void, then stop as he sat in the lotus position and began to meditate.**

**I was speechless. He didn't seem to even notice what I was wearing, or the fact that I was shy around him because of it. I mechanically tied my hair up in a messy bun and threw myself back against the bed, pulling the comforter over my head to shield the whiteness that would not allow me to sleep. I sighed noisily, the doubts that roamed my mind plaguing me. _How am I gonna take these 12 months closed off with the guy of my dreams?! Does he even notice that I like him, or does he just ignore me completely that way?_  I sighed nervously, my eyes beginning to flutter shut. The last thought lingered curiously in the back of my mind.  _What's gonna happen tomorrow…?_**

**I fell into a deep sleep, those doubts once again falling from importance as others sprang forth via my tortuous dreams, dreams that would plague me with uncertainty for the greater part of my stay in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…and of my forced isolation with my enigmatic roommate, the person who would have more of a prestige title soon to come.**


	7. Distress from Stress

 

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**" _Vacant eyes. She stared into the lifeless, half-lidded crimson eyes of Nisou Kyouran, the woman shrouded in a consuming dark shadow that was beginning to hang over her own identity. The lifeless body of her past self lay in a massive pool of blood on the now saturated ground, her gaping fatal wound tore through her senses as did the image of the necklace, still discarded by the woman's left side._**

**_At once, the garnet stone began to pulsate and then the whole scene changed in a flash. She now watched as someone snatched the necklace off the bloodstained ground, rivulets of crimson dripping off the garnet stone, and stood, looming over the paling form of the priestess warrior._ **

**_The shadowed figure snarled in disdain as his cold obsidian eyes ran over his twin star's body, his disappointment drawing back to a brooding agitation. He then looked at the garnet pendant he held in his palm, a dark smirk crossing his sinister lips._ **

**_The overwhelming scent of smoke and burning flesh tore through all her senses. She now faced a raging pyre that stood under a darkened sky. The somber motion of the flames cast dancing light across the vast battle-ravaged meadow, but failed to unmask the malevolent figure still engulfed in perpetual shadow, standing with impeccable posture a few meters away from the billowing flames._ **

**_The potent scent once again reached her in a sudden wave. Sofia then realized the purpose for the blazing pyre that stood before her._ **

**_Lying on a bed of hungry wood, the outline of her past life was in the center of the consuming flames, hands folded over her chest and eyes shut; she was stripped of her only piece of armor. The flames licked her hair and seemed to tortuously caress her slender figure._ **

**_A sudden pillar of fire rose up, shielding the demon priestess warrior from sight, and beginning to erase any physical evidence of her short existence._ **

**_Sofia's attention suddenly fell on the figure. Still clutching the necklace in his hand, the shadowed figure watched on as a destiny was being erased, the glow of the flames flashing over his obsidian eyes. Without betraying a gesture that revealed his true emotions, his motives became alarmingly apparent to Sofia._ **

**_The pyre began to deteriorate, as did the figure housed in the flames. With the dying of the flames came the darkened ashes that had begun to descend from the source of death; something seemed familiar about what was remaining from the fire, but Sofia could not bring herself to remember._ **

**" _Every end brings a beginning; destiny shall be fulfilled as I see fit…it shall begin again, my dear Kyouran."_**

**_The figure's cryptic remark flashed in distorted omnipresence as the scene before her began to dissipate._ **

**_The darkness pulled itself around her, intoxicating and cryptically enthralling; the same ghastly captivation that tore through her during her metaphysical encroachment of the mystical ceremony…"_ **

* * *

 

**He felt the silence around him seep into his consciousness for what felt like a small lifetime, the cool kiss of the marble at his back and beneath him conjured the relaxation that had eluded him since meeting his pint-sized antagonist.**

**He felt as if nothing could compare to the bliss that such a practice could bring over his senses…that is, before his usually trained mind began to wander. With a soft grunt, his onyx orbs appeared from under his emerald lids, as he fell away from his meditation.**

**Piccolo gazed around the main room, his eyes falling on the doorway that led to _her_  quarters. He couldn't prevent the sigh from escaping his lips.  _I knew I was gonna regret this,_ he paused in thought. _That old man is acting suspicious…_ he propped his head against the pillar behind him, the action causing his antennae to vacillate subtly. **

**"Humph," he exhaled slowly as he tried to erase the nagging feeling that still lingered in the back of his mind. It was as if a thought demanded to be addressed, but his will compelled it to silence.**

**"It didn't mean a thing." The remark resonated in the chamber. He found himself wondering if he had stated it to himself or to his judging mind. Either way, he got an answer back.**

**'So, you're still submerged in your own stubborn denial. How very sad,' stated aloofly Nail, emerging from the mental blockade Piccolo had submitted his own conscious to.**

**Piccolo rolled his eyes at hearing the familiar voice of his counterpart, figuring it was his own fault for letting his mental guard down.**

**'It was about time you relented. I thought I was going to be stuck in the back of your mind forever,' Nail remarked coolly.**

**'You probably would have, if I hadn't been distracted,' grumbled Piccolo, shutting his eyes and taking his traditional meditation pose, thinking it would be redundant to try but figured it was something to take away from Nail's oncoming rambling.**

**'Oh?' Nail paused carefully, 'What exactly _distracted_ you?' His telepathic tone was one of faked severity, hoping it was convincing enough for his untrusting brooding counterpart.**

**'You wouldn't know about it anyway, so stop snooping,' Piccolo gruffly replied.**

**Nail sighed, realizing he would have to get the truth out the hard way, something he had quickly gotten used to after a now infinite number of instances.**

**'If you're that worried about her, why don't you let her know? I'm sure you two can come up with some sort of a solution in the 10 minutes that you're not antagonizing one another,' said Nail, unequivocally.**

**'Who the hell said I was worried about _her_!? I don't give a damn about what she's gonna go through in here! My only interest is getting the training I need. What occurs to her is none of my concern,' scoffed Piccolo, indignantly.**

**'You pig-headed jackass! After what Kami-sama told you, you're still going to play the apathy card?' Nail fumed with incredulousness in his tone and paused. 'You really are an "asshole,"' huffed Nail, using Sofia's past title for the Demon Lord.**

**Piccolo ground his teeth and clenched his jaw, looking like he had just swallowed something acrid and sour. 'If you _EVER_  speak to me that way again, I'll put you so far out of my mind that you'll disappear! You Got That NAIL?' spat Piccolo, his bluff still echoed with resonance in the central bridge of both their consciousness.**

**Nail surprised the rigid Demon King when he released the most menacing/challenging cackle of a laugh he had ever heard throughout their joined existence.**

**'You know damn well you could _never_  accomplish that, Piccolo. That was a poor bluff on your part…she must be really distracting you. How many times have you relived  _that_  moment, hm?' grilled Nail, the grin pulling at his disembodied lips as he brought up the instance that still baffled his counterpart.**

**Piccolo fell to the side onto the marble tiled floor, Nail's words acting as a tremendous shock inflicted against his pride. _Six times…DAMN IT!_ was his mental answer as he picked himself back up. He started pacing with clenched fists.  _Six fucking times…it's like a fucking nightmare! Grrrrrrrrrh!_**

**With an air of victory from the other's silence, Nail directed his next remark in a scrupulous tone. 'I'm not telling you to profess your undying love for her,' he paused as his tone faltered to one of amusement, then continued, 'just that you be upfront and tell her that you find somewhat…stressing the possibilities of her becoming injured. Is that really so difficult?'**

**_YESSSSSS!_ ** **Piccolo hissed mentally. He composed himself enough to fall into his stoic tone, 'I am not in lo—lov _—_ THAT word with her! She might be somewhat intriguing—' Piccolo was cut off by Nail's sarcastic snort.**

**'Somewhat?! She's beautiful, smart, witty, and she is in no way intimidated by you. If I was in your place, I would be _more_  than intrigued! Especially after seeing her in her scant slumber robes from before…' Nail's tone leaked an innuendo that left Piccolo utterly confused, and irritated.**

**'What the hell are you talkin' about!? You've been sayin' crazier shit than usual, yah know that? Whatever psychological damage you have better not be contagious,' Piccolo snapped gruffly.**

**'Oh come now, Piccolo! You mean to tell me that you didn't take notice of her attire and how formfitting it was? Her delicate curves, her slender legs, the slight swell of her breasts—?' Nail's blunt assertion was cut off by an uncomfortable Piccolo.**

**'Shut The FUCK UP, Nail!' Piccolo stopped pacing as he noticed the purple hue that tainted his cheeks in the nearest reflective surface— his mind suddenly betrayed him with the memory of Sofia and her…attire. His cheeks burned as the blush deepened and spread to the bridge of his nose and to the upper ridges of his ears.**

**Wiping away a small amount of violet blood from his nose, he shook away the image and growled. _Nosebleed…?_**

**"Hrrrrm…why does shit like this keep happening?" He clenched his fists at his sides, as he absently bit his lower lip— not one of his common mannerisms _—_  then looked over to the doorway of Sofia's room.**

**'Because you're picturing her in an erotic manner, aren't you?' snickered Nail.**

**'NO I'M NOT! Why is this so different? I've seen Gohan in his pajamas countless times, even in the nude a couple of times when he ran around stupidly after losing his clothes...'**

**Nail sighed at the other Namek's naïve-ness. _You would think living on a planet where he's surrounded by beings with genders he would know something,_ he thought aloofly.**

**'It is _very_  different, Piccolo. Gohan is your young  _male_  friend, while Sofia is the first female you've ever really interacted with. She's unique, brazen, and very attractive, even to someone of our race… specifically you. Not to mention how you both have obvious things in common with each other…' emphasized coolly Nail to his stoic-faced counterpart.**

**Piccolo seemed to ponder Nail's logic, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at his residual, metaphysical counterpart standing across from him on his own side of the central bridge of their consciousness.**

**After a terse silence, Piccolo's baritone grumble floated to Nail's acute ears. 'This never happened with that harpy Chi-Chi or that lunatic Bulma; still don't see what's up with this smart-mouthed girl…'**

**Nail huffed and rolled his eyes, then went about crossing his own arms irritably over his chest. _Maybe he is the one with the psychological damage_. 'I swear, you would think you had some relation to Son Goku, since your denseness rivals even  _his_  at times. Must I write it down for you? Or perhaps I should spell it out…even though you are Namekian, asexual, and immensely supercilious, you have a strong attraction towards Sofia and she to you. Your recurring thoughts of her and the moment after Gohan left are signs of such attraction. There! Now do you understand? Did I make it clear enough for you to process!?'**

**Piccolo bared his fangs and stalked over to his counterpart. He stood in front of Nail, his onyx orbs cold and menacing. 'Don't ever insult my intelligence again! Nothing of this topic is of your concern, or mine for that matter. As soon as our objective is accomplished, she'll leave this realm and return to her own damn warped world. Then she'll be out of my face and out of my life.' Piccolo paused as he glared with finality at Nail.**

**'From here on out, I don't want to hear another word about this sentimental bullshit, you hear me? Nothing will occur. She's human and I'm a Namek; it would be impossible for anything to happen, so it won't. Is that clear!' Piccolo stated contemptuously, the resonance of his finality fluctuating slightly in the timeless space, as he jabbed through Nail's residual image, his hand striking the nothingness and going through as if Nail's image was a hollow reflection.**

**Nail, with his arms still crossed, only stared at his harsh counterpart with apathy as the other Namekian pulled his arm away and turned on his heel to rejoin his own consciousness without giving the other a second glance. Piccolo stepped through the haze that divided his own consciousness from the central bridge and Nail's spiritual core.**

**He rolled his eyes once more at his stubborn counterpart's persistence before turning around and stepping back into his own consciousness.**

**Piccolo snapped his eyes open and found himself once again in the main room of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, still facing the general direction to Sofia's bedroom entrance. He rarely had those types of meetings with his counterpart, seeing as he detested having to leave his consciousness to meet at the 'middle ground' between both their spiritual cores, leaving him vulnerable to his surroundings.**

**This time, however, had been a necessary inconvenience. He stated what his purpose would be for the rest of the year in the chamber to his mischievous mental sidekick and would not be distracted from his task. He put all other doubts and confusion to the back of his brooding mind, and decided that it was time to begin training.**

**_Just about time to wake up the brat and begin her year of pain and misery,_ ** **he paused and couldn't help the dark smirk quirk his lips as he walked over to his still slumbering roommate's quarters. He noticed his discarded turban still on the floor from when it had been thrown off earlier, picked it up, brushed his antennae back, and put it on. Turning to face the doorway of the small room, Piccolo's mind began to concoct several painful training regimens he could force on Sofia. _She's gonna wish I had just blasted her from the beginning after I get started with her._  He let the low chuckle muse in his chest as he stepped through the dimensional divide and into the room.**

* * *

 

**"… _Soil, blood, petals. It all filtered into her mind as did the deep chanting; every one of her senses being awakened and torn with the smells of ash and soil freshly saturated with crimson blood. She could taste death as it surrounded the ceremony._**

**_She saw as a bowl filled with a dark liquid became illuminated by the flicker of torchlight, revealing the rippling crimson blood before rose petals as white as snow began to descend and float over the rippling surface._ **

**_The petals took in the essence of the life-giving liquid and began to turn deep red. Then the churning of ashes and saturated soil invaded her; watched as skilled figures went about mixing the dark ash left from the pyre with the unconsecrated soil where Kyouran lay discarded after death. The unholy mixture began to darken to a chunky, ink black substance-like soil and Sofia couldn't prevent the scream from tearing through her mind._ **

**" _My god! The hole in my backyard was filled with_ — _" her words died as the realization burned her insides, while it turned her skin cold as ice._**

**_She was suddenly jolted by the image of the shadowed figure, holding an intricate box in his hand. He muttered an unintelligible word and the box opened, the silk lining flashing red from the flicker of torchlight. He placed the necklace into the box, absently tracing the silk lining with the tip of his index finger, his sinister smirk more prominent as his obsidian eyes gleamed as the garnet stone._ **

**_The scene changed to reveal a large, flat hexagonal-shaped pedestal made of polished onyx matching that of the necklace, the intricate wooden box resting on top of its surface. The ink soil began to sprinkle down over the box, falling compact with the red petals that had been added with the mixture of funeral ash and unconsecrated soil._ **

**_Covered completely, the pedestal remained hidden by the mass of compact offering that sat on its surface. The chanting grew louder as three robed figures in earthy-toned cloaks surrounded the pedestal, each reciting a garbled chant with their heads bowed._ **

**_The malevolent, shadowed figure stood off to the side, observing the ceremony with self satisfaction instead of hollow reverence. His obsidian eyes mirrored a mix of hatred and suppressed intention, as the pedestal seemed to implode inward, disappearing with the contents it carried. The chanting stopped; silence deafened her; darkness._ **

**_Then, a presence. It was familiar, but so cold and cruel… she felt it near her. She turned and saw the shadowed figure, his back to her._ **

**_Hate. Misery. Pain. He was the embodiment of those words, though she had never actually seen him. The desire to know drove her forward, closer and closer to his impeccable frame._ **

**_With a sudden jolt, she was being weighed down into the darkness, falling to an endless depth… until her conscious was brought back by a physical intruder…"_ **

* * *

 

**"Aaaaaaaaah!"**

**I sprung up to full consciousness after feeling the hard jab on my head, my left hand gripping the pendant of the necklace against my chest as the garnet stone pulsed dully in its intricate onyx band framing. Immediately, the brightness of the chamber stung my eyes, causing me to scrunch up my face as I looked up at the stoic semblance of my roommate and soon-to-be sensei.**

**Piccolo gave me an amused once over as he looked down at me in his cross-armed sideways stance. Instinctively I raised my hand to feel my hair, and felt the 'escaped mental patient' look my hair was sporting.**

**He snorted at my annoyed expression and appearance. "That's a good look for you, kid. I always wondered what an electrocuted cat would look like," he remarked smugly, only his dark eyes flashed the amusement.**

**I loosened my hair out of the hair tie and opened my mouth to chastise him about rudely waking me up—seeing as I was sooo close to figuring out the mystery guest in my dream, but froze when I became aware of what I was wearing. I jumped out of bed and stood before him trying to get by him. Of course, getting by Piccolo is like trying to go by a wall of solid marble. I just ended up fidgeting under his searing stare as I tried to not blush at the fact that I had an awful wedgie and that I felt stupid about having to adjust my skanky "pajamas" in his presence.**

**Piccolo simply stared down at me for mere seconds before his gaze intensified. "Hurry up and get ready. I won't have my time wasted by you," he stated almost harshly and turned away from me, going back out to the main room.**

**I'm sure if I had been in his side of the divide I would have been assaulted by a dozen sweatdrops over my head as I watched his cape-festooned back stride away.**

**_Guess he doesn't really care about my attire. Hm…_ ** **I mused to myself, pulled the offending cloth from my most private areas, and went to my dresser and pulled out my clothes for the day, still a little fatigued from my restless dream.**

**Collecting my things, I proceeded to walk through the dimensional line housed between my doorway. As soon as I passed the eerie space through my door and stepped into the divide of the chamber, my body was suddenly taken over by a pain that resembled that ache you get in your muscles after a lot of exercise, then my muscles flexed against the feeling all at once, leaving behind a tenseness in my joints and tendons. _WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?_ my mind shouted at my body's alien reaction. I leaned against the wall next to the doorway to get my bearings, my body soon losing the tension and relaxing again.**

**The fatigue of before came back, as if my body's fluke reflex action never happened.**

**I rubbed my tired eyes as the glare of the bright room stung without relenting. Seeing as I rarely went out, my eyes were always bothered by bright glare, especially so suddenly after waking up in a chamber of endless white.**

**Pushing off the wall, I trudged over to the bathroom, the tile floor stinging my feet with its perpetual chill, my eyes drooping from the lack of 'real' sleep. I stifled a yawn as I went to step up into the bathroom, when my forehead suddenly collided with the upper wooden doorframe.**

**"SONUVABITCH!" I cried out and stumbled back, hissing at the swelling pain on my forehead. I glared at the offending wooden panel as I rubbed the sore spot.**

**"What are you yelling about?" I looked towards the kitchen doorway to see Piccolo scowling at me, arms crossed. He strode towards me when my only answer was a swear under my breath. "Well?" he gruffly petitioned as he loomed over me, his annoyance very evident.**

**"I hit my head against the doorframe," I pouted angrily and let out a hiss when Piccolo grabbed my face, and then suddenly poked the sore spot. "Whatta hell! Don't poke me with your claw, you ass!"**

**Piccolo gripped my upper arm and twisted it to an angle, getting only a challenging growl instead of a whelp of pain from me. "Watch your tongue, girl! Your injury isn't serious enough for you to be bitchin'!" he snarled in disdain at me. After glaring at each other for a tense moment, he let go of my arm.**

**I glared up at him, my head coming up just below his chest. _Wait! His chest?! But I'm shorter than that!_  The realization hit me fast, as I remembered that only the day before I came up to his upper abdominal muscle.**

**Stepping towards Piccolo's side, I went about measuring myself using him as the deductive vantage point. Sure enough, I was taller.**

**Piccolo must have assumed that what I was doing had an ulterior motive, since he tensed away from me, his judging glare a clear warning for me to watch it.**

**"What!" he growled at me, but my mind was too busy to warrant a response as I went about sating its need for an explanation for my sudden growth spurt.**

**I turned and stalked over to the bathroom door. I heard a demanding grunt behind me but ignored it. I stood before the step and doorframe, noticing the distinct difference from one day to another— _Yesterday I was short enough that I could just step in without even worrying about banging my head, and now today I'm about…_  I mentally measure the difference,  _4 inches taller!_**

**My jaw dropped.**

**"Hey! You better not be ignoring me, cuz if you are _—_!" Piccolo was about to threaten, but he cut himself off when I turned around and faced him, my abrupt action whipped my hair back, causing only my bangs to fall over my shoulders and graze the sides of my face.**

**He scowled at me, his gaze so menacing it caused my heart to leap in my chest, then as sudden as his façade appeared, Piccolo looked away from me, as if he was aggravated by my mere presence.**

**I cocked an eyebrow at his spur of the moment irritation, then bit my lip when my eyes trailed his cold features. _Is he blushing!_  The voice in my head dragged out as I thought I saw a faint tint of purple blush on Piccolo's left cheek.**

**I shook my head to clear the mirage that my eyes must have created, then once again took note of my scant attire.**

**"I need to use the bathroom!" I blurted out stupidly and ran in— making sure to duck my head— to the lavatory and caught sight of Piccolo's confused expression as I slammed the sliding wooden door. When I went to instinctively lock the door, I found that there was no lock _. Talk about lack of privacy_.**

**After grumbling to myself like the retard I am, I went about using the facilities, getting dressed, washing the sleep crud out of my eyes and brushing my teeth. I combed my hair and put it up in the tightest bun possible. Then I just stared at my transformed reflection, sighing at how weird it was to just look that way, let alone be in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber getting ready to get my ass handed to me by my anime Adonis. I couldn't even conjure up the prospect of putting my fucked up dream into understanding, as the images kept flooding my mind with more vividness every minute. I saw that my forehead wasn't really hurt by my abrupt acquaintance with the upper doorframe and figured that I had at least been able to put together my growth spurt with the weird feeling that invaded me on walking over the dimensional line. _Kami did say I would change in some way every time I crossed the dimensional threshold, but this growth spurt is extreme. Wonder if I'll get any taller…_**

**I continued my absent thoughts as I went over and slid the bathroom door open, ducked, and stepped out to the Piccolo-less main room.**

**"Huh. Where did he go?" I asked the gravity weighed atmosphere, my voice embodied by the chamber's natural echo.**

**I sensed him out, and found that he was over in my side of the divide. I decided to get a bottle of water for my breakfast and head out that way, my excitement fueling my understandable anxiety. After crossing into my side of the divide, I headed for the arch entranceway— the curtains were already parted — and into the endless white.**

**I first looked over the simple step onto the chamber floor with apprehension, seeing as only the day before I hit the ground in such a way that Inuyasha would have felt pity for me. I took a breath and stepped out— nothing happened! I wasn't smashed against the floor, and the gravity wasn't as challenging as before. Shrugging, I started to walk out further into the whiteness.**

**I took a couple of swigs of water to calm my nerves, and ended up chugging the whole bottle before even getting to where Piccolo was, which was southeastward of the palace. When I came upon the gorgeous Namek I had to stifle the urge to squeal like a schoolgirl. He was performing a warm up exercise that consisted of him performing push-ups with one hand —his index, middle, and thumb fingers being what supported his hunky frame, the other held behind his back, and one leg crossed over the other. So in essence, he was putting all his weight on the three digits mentioned and on the toes of his right leg. I was baffled at how his body could stay in perfect alignment and still push up and down without losing balance and crashing to the gravity-weighed void floor.**

**Then there was the sight of his slightly exerting muscles and tendons as they flexed and tightened under his emerald skin. He seemed to not be aware of my presence, and I took full advantage of the fact by just marveling quietly at this godly sight.**

**With his cape thrown over one of his shoulders, allowing it to sway with his every movement, I was able to admire the slight ripple of his biceps and triceps as they worked together in an impeccable rhythm, as well as the subtle tensing and un-tensing of his muscle-corded back hidden under his plum gi shirt—as his unfaltering precision coursed immaculately throughout his quick warm up. He wasn't even shedding a drop of sweat, as if the activity was the equivalent of a cat nap or something!**

**He switched now to the other arm and leg, never faltering in the task as he began warming up again. His gaze was focused to the ghostly pale floor only inches in front of his teardrop nose, his stoic semblance chiseled into perfection.**

**I thanked Kami that we were on my side of the divide, seeing as I would have probably fainted from the blood loss that would occur from an anime style nosebleed and given my secret perversion away to the yummy Piccylow working out.**

**_Maybe I should consider tying him up and having my way with him! After all, it wouldn't be rape_ ** **— _it'd be surprise sex._**

**The dirty thought got an amused "humph" out of me. I guess that was a loud enough noise, since Piccolo glanced to the side, setting his graphite eyes on me as he rose and paused in mid push-up.**

**"It was about time you got out here!" he remarked gruffly as he settled into the general position of performing push-ups and pushed his legs over his head in a swift motion as he performed a sort of summersault/front flip, landing with a slight patting of his moccasins as he stood to his looming height, his cape gently fluttering behind him.**

**He glanced at me sideways, eyeing me with a blunt, scrutinizing stare. He turned to face me completely, crossing his arms in his cool, intimidating air.**

**"What the hell are you wearing!? You don't actually plan on training in those clothes do you?" he inquired tersely as he glowered down at me.**

**Raising an eyebrow I glanced down at my attire. I was wearing a pair of comfortable jeans that had the knees cut out, a white fitted shirt with the picture of an evil little nymph on it and my black converse sneakers. I know— not normal fighting attire, but it was the kind of stuff I had in my wardrobe.**

**I gave him a cool stare as I answered, "Well of course. It's what I have on, isn't it!? And before you lecture me about how this isn't the proper robes for training—" I raised my hand in a silencing gesture as Piccolo was about to nag me. "I will only tell you that I intend to train in the clothes I want, and that I don't think that wearing this or a set of your pajamas," I gestured indifferently at his own trademark appearance, "will be that big of a deal on whether or not I can fight."**

**I know, you might be thinking that I have a death wish or something, but it was the truth. Needless to say, Piccolo's expression deepened into his brooding scowl as an aggravated grunt resonated from his chest and travel to his throat, turning into his trademark menacing growl.**

**I just looked at him as if I was bored, indifference written on my expression as I casually tossed my empty water bottle in the air and incinerated it out of existence with a small ki blast.**

**"Well, are you just gonna growl at me all year, or are you gonna start training me anytime soon, cuz I'd like to—Yikes!" The next thing I knew, Piccolo had grabbed me and thrown me onto his right shoulder with his arm holding my legs into place, and started striding away, the small palace becoming further and further away. It was as if I was a 5''6 sack of potatoes being hauled by the Demon King— the thought of him suddenly tossing me on the purple-draped bed and crawling onto me popped into my perverted mind and I could feel my whole body grow warm from the lack of the right time or circumstance I was in for such a fantasy.**

**I snapped myself out of my speechlessness and started kicking my legs and tugging on his cape. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I roared incredulously, since he seemed to ignore my struggling.**

**Then for the second time in two days, my ass became acquainted with hard floor as Piccolo dropped me on my butt.**

**"DAMNIT!" I glared up at him, but choked on my next words when Piccolo lowered himself to be face to face with me. I have to say, this was his most intimidating expression yet, his jaw clenched tight, the slight flare of his nostrils as he inhaled angrily, with his graphite spheres boring into my own.**

**I bit my tongue at his intense expression, but even the anxiety of getting my ass kicked around could not subdue my mental perversion. _God! I just want to kiss those sexy lips of his…_**

**"Sofia!" I snapped back to attention at the stern tone with which he addressed me, and found myself drowning in his dark eyes, but found that the sentiment I had expected in them was absent. Instead, his eyes gave this reflection of coolness; no anger was filtering in them.**

**"Listen. I want you to take this training seriously; this is no game. If you really intend to be of some use in the battle against that bastard Frieza, I suggest you quit screwin' around. The last thing I need is for you breaking your neck cuz you're too busy being your smart-ass self," he paused his stoic monologue and grabbed my chin a little harshly, tipping my face upward so that I focused on his next words. "And I don't like wasting my time on what would be futile causes; training you is turning into such a cause."**

**He let go of my chin and stood up, looming over my form as he turned away from me. I jumped to my feet and reached for his hand just as he was about to walk away from me. I grabbed his hand. "The last thing you'll think when we start training is that I'm a "futile cause", Piccolo." The Namekian warrior stopped and turned back to me, eyeing me with suspicion. I felt his hand tense at the contact with my own, so I let go. "You train me, and I'll surpass your expectations. I'm a fast learner, not to mention prepared to have you as my sensei…if you'll still have me."**

**Piccolo cocked an eye ridge at my determined tone, then broke all protocol when he gave me a satisfied smirk. He crossed his arms. "No one can say you don't have spunk, kid. Not that I haven't found that out already," he paused, then went back to his business-no-bullshit tone, "Have you had any combat training before?"**

**"Not really combat training, but I did take martial arts for two years," I answered with an un-helping smile.**

**Piccolo snorted, as if my reply was a sad joke. "Oh really! What kind of martial arts, Tae Kwon Do or something!?" he remarked more than asked in this cynical and sarcastic way.**

**I scowled. "Exactly." His expression turned into one of arrogance, as if I had just confirmed some pitiful fact about myself.**

**"Hmph. Well then," he swiftly got into his fighting stance, an arrogant gleam in his eye, "try coming at me with all you got."**

**"…"**

**_I'm gonna spar with Piccolo...I'm gonna die._ **

* * *

 

**I got into my old Tae Kwon Do stance, feeling really stupid for even doing so. Piccolo still held that superior air as he watched me, his brow casting shadow over his dark eyes.**

**Knowing that I would get my ass handed to me if I even tried to go at him with my poor fighting experience, I fell out of my stance and walked over to him.**

**Piccolo cocked an eye ridge, and gave me a supercilious smirk as he remained in his stance. He snorted, "What's wrong? Afraid to show me your 'martial arts' abilities?"**

**His tone was so cocky, but I held back the urge of making him eat his words. _For now, anyway!_**

**"You know you'd wipe the floor with me—" he quirked his lips into a victorious smirk— "At least in this moment you would. Just train me. I know you won't be able to ditch me in the wilderness for the first six months, so we got a lot of time to kill," I replied coolly.**

**Piccolo fell out of his stance with a smug grunt.**

**"Humph. Fine, but before I train you I gotta see what I'll be working with." He said this in a business tone as he crossed his arms and gazed down at me.**

**I have to say, I almost swooned at the naughty implications that my mind conjured up at his statement. _Damn, how I'd like to work you, Piccolo,_  my naughty mental comment caused me to trail his frame with an approving glance, which worked to answer my sensei's hidden stipulation.**

**I got back into my stance, trying to hide my shaking knees as I faced the intimidating Z Warrior awaiting my move of attack. He was standing in a straight stance, his slender-yet-musucular, fabulously toned arms at his sides.**

**_Holy crap! Should I charge head on, or maybe I can try to phase out? Argh! Whatever I do, he's gonna have me kissing the floor in a second!_ ** **I huffed in my mind, the irritation distracting me.**

**"Anytime this year, kid!" I looked over at Piccolo's stoic semblance, only his eyes reflected his impatience.**

**I grunted and focused. I decided to go for the latter of two plans: I charged head on towards the apathetic Namek. But before I was close enough to be swung at, I jumped in the air and kicked my foot out, dead aim for his chest. Piccolo swiftly sidestepped, grabbed my leg and swung me so hard against the ground that I saw spots in my blurred vision, the wind knocked out of my lungs.**

**"That was pathetic! I could see your attack coming before _you_  even did. Attacking me head on was the most absent-minded thing you could have done, kid," Piccolo chastised me with the intensity of a physical beat down. He glowered down at me. "Get up! Before I drag you up by your hair!"**

**I hissed out a growl and managed to pull myself up, the welt on my back already brushing against my shirt. I stood as straight as possible, my eyes boring into Piccolo's contemptuous orbs. Without saying a word, I went at him, punching, kicking as fast and with as much force as I could. He didn't even bother to block— all he did was sidestep or swing his frame into a dogging counter.**

**Frustrated, I threw a punch aimed at his face, but he expertly caught my wrist, pulled it at an awkward angle and twisted it against my back, pinning the limb painfully in place.**

**"Grrrrrrrhhhhhhh!" I hissed painfully as Piccolo let my arm go, not before knocking me to my knees with a swift jolting kick to the back of my legs.**

**I landed hard on my knees, skidding slightly, hunched over and gasping for needed air, bracing my position with my unhurt arm. My vision was wild, and so were the rest of my senses as two moccasin-clad feet appeared only a foot away from my nose.**

**The pain was shooting up my arm. I gripped my shoulder to try and relieve the prickling, jarring feeling that was built up there. I sat back on my knees, too aggravated to meet Piccolo's intense glare as he stood looming over me with his arms crossed.**

**"Your pretentiousness isn't gonna work for you now, kid!" he paused his harsh tirade to pull me up by the arm that gripped the other still dulled one. I stood straight, trying not to let my legs buckle from the sore throb that was introduced by the jolting kick they had received. "Now I know exactly what to do with you," he let go of my arm, causing me to wobble slightly, "First off, improving your timing. You might have landed that first kick if you had just timed it right. You also have to get it through your head that you can't always strike straight at your opponent; overwhelming your opponent with multiple blows from every angle will always work in your favor, that is if you have at least an inkling of an active and analytical form of thinking."**

**The whole time Piccolo tore into my poor fighting ability, he seemed to dissect me from the inside out with his cool and calculating gaze. I just stood there and took his scrutiny, knowing full well that to interrupt him would warrant a swift crack to my face.**

**Piccolo continued his meticulous scrutiny. "Your punches and kicks need a little work, but they aren't that bad; you aimed to go through, which should always be your goal during battle," he remarked stoically as he loomed over me in his trademark casual stance.**

**"Thanks…" I muttered after his comment, which got his gaze to intensify on me.**

**"For what!?" he spat gruffly, as if he was on guard for any veiled insults I could throw at him.**

**"For the compliment," he cocked his head to the side, confusion flickering for a small instant on his chiseled features. "Getting technique advice from you is pretty cool, seeing as I've watched you countless times in combat over the years," I muttered like a shy fangirl, diverting my gaze to my converse sneakers, letting my hand fall from the shoulder of my injured arm; the pain slowly eased to a dull numbness.**

**Piccolo gave me this cocky, menacing smirk as he snorted, "Alright, kid. It's time to get to the _real_  training. And don't worry— I'm gonna try to keep you standing long enough for you to see what true martial arts is."**

**_I'm wet with anticipation, sensei,_ ** **was my cynical and morose thought as we immediately kicked into the niddy griddy of my rigorous fighting lessons.**

* * *

 

**"C'MON! You're too damn slow, kid. The next time you put up a half-assed defense like that I'll knock your head off your shoulders. Focus!"**

**_Oh yeah. Piccolo as a sensei is fantabulous! Don't know if it can compare to getting a bullet in the head, but it's getting there!_ ** **I grumbled in a mental sarcastic huff as I picked myself up from the floor, trying not to exert any pressure on my left side from Piccolo's spontaneous kick to my ribs.**

**It had been a couple of hours into my training with Piccolo. He had taught me the fundamentals of having a defense equally solid as my offense and taught me how to use my size and speed to my advantage. We had just gone over the grappling techniques and had long since gone to blocking, when he wanted to get a perspective of my progress, so we started sparring. _Holy-Shit!_  It was the most terrifying experience, not because I was afraid of him, but because I feared forgetting any essential moves and having him berate me. **

**So far, I favored my offense more than my defense, which betrayed me a lot because he kept exploiting it during the fight session. I hate having someone just tearing into me, and having to keep quiet and take all of it.**

**I didn't say a word and just got back into stance. There was a searing stinging from all my wounds. I had bruises all over my forearms from blocking Piccolo's punches and my knees and thighs screamed for mercy from all the blows inflicted by Piccolo's knees as he would try to get a kick in. My pants were torn in random spots and my knees were scraped from their constant skidding against the chamber floor.**

**Rogue strands of hair poked out from their place and would stick to my sleek and sweaty skin; the flesh of my knuckles burned as the sweat seeped into the gashes sustained by the contact they made with Piccolo's face and his own knuckles as our fists collided with each other at multiple times through the sparring. Punching Piccolo is like driving your fists into brick, over and over and over again.**

**Even with the present factors, I was back in stance, awaiting my sensei's next command to charge at him, but it wasn't uttered.**

**Piccolo came towards me, his stoic mask chiseled into his features as he stood before me, the subtle scrapes that I had submitted to his face would have been almost unnoticeable if it wasn't for the bruises that clashed with his emerald complexion. He gave a sort of visual inspection of my wounds and then focused his graphite gaze on mine.**

**"We'll pause the sparring for now. I want to switch over to my side of the chamber," he stated in his commanding baritone voice.**

**He walked by me and went into the direction of the palace. I followed close behind, marveling at myself for not having a limp. I surveyed my wounds and figured they weren't that serious. _At least I'm keeping my end up of the bargain. In just a couple of hours I learned a shit load of fighting and we've even sparred. Wonder why he wants to go to his side,_  I remarked to myself as we stepped into my room through the archway entrance and headed for the doorway leading into the main room.**

**The eerie swishing of the air greeted my skin, relieving the stinging of my exposed wounds slightly. As we began to walk from one end of the room towards the pillared steps leading to endless white, I couldn't help but admire Piccolo's tight, firm ass— his cape was over a shoulder, giving me visual access— and I debated whether to pinch it or just give it a nice bite when my face suddenly collided with his sweaty back. He had come to a brisk halt in his stride, and I was too distracted and ended up with my face draped in the sweat-soaked cloth of his gi shirt, his rugged scent intoxicating me.**

**_Mmmmmmpiccylow…!_ ** **Without my permission, my hands gripped the sides of his shirt and my body leaned forward, so my face buried further into the cloth and scent, and my forehead rested against his incredibly tense back. I realized that his whole body tensed at my contact, which was enough to snap me back to reality.**

**Before I even attempted to step away from the Namek's sweaty back I was gripped and pulled around him. The next thing I knew I was submerged in Piccolo's endless black depths, a vein slightly throbbing on his left temple.**

**"What-Are-You-DOING!?" he snarled at me, his hands gripping my shoulders hostilely as he glared and bared his fangs at me.**

**Heat burned my cheeks. I felt like a HUGE pedo, and I couldn't even meet his gaze. I muttered an apology, but I could still feel his smoldering gaze on me even after he let go of my shoulders.**

**"Are all you females this lascivious, or is it only you?! You'd think you were trying to mate with me or something!" Piccolo spat out tersely.**

**My eyeballs shrank to pinpoints and my jaw dropped, my face must have been crimson from the blush of embarrassment that I could feel wash over me.**

**"Well? Explain yourself. Why the hell are you always violating me?" I internally flinched at his icy tone, his expression cold and almost deadly.**

**I tried to speak my evasive excuse, but he glared down at me, making me incredibly nervous. There was no excuse, but there was a confession. My breath caught in my throat, but the words that my mind hadn't filtered out to be audible flew out of my mouth on their own accord. "Because I like you!"**

**Piccolo's eyes widened and his jaw tightened as a huge sweatdrop appeared over his turban-clad head. My heart raced— _I just confessed my feelings for him! OMG, why did I say it?!_  even with my mind shunning my lips for divulging the secret, my mouth poured out all that I'd been holding from him.**

**"I have always liked you—I like to watch you work out and flex and tell people to fuck off and I especially like when you get rid of your cape and turban with one swift move before every battle! Even when you fought against Goku in the Tenkaichi Budokai and almost killed him I was rooting for you to win! And being locked in here with you is awesome and just being close to you is provoking me to do crazy shit, so pleeeeze forgive me for wanting to molest you and violate your private space—I just can't _help_  it anymore!"**

**All my pining for the Namek came forth in a steady and vehement stream of words, the flow of words inundating me. The next thing I knew, I was short of breath from my declaration, and I opened my eyes— I had shut them as my embarrassment prevented me from being able to even look at the delicious Namek— to see Piccolo slumped to the floor, spinning spirals substituted his onyx eyes as he twitched from my verbal overload.**

**"Um…Piccolo?" I lowered myself to a perched position and shook him, trying to snap him out of his disturbed trance. "Hey!" he gave me no reaction, so I decided on a drastic measure to bring him back. "Do you need me to give you mouth to mouth?" That did it.**

**"ARGH _—_ NOOO!" he stumbled back with a stutter in his voice, blushing handsomely as he eyed me with incredulousness.**

**I couldn't help give him a wry smirk. "You're so cute—and probably a great kisser, too," I muttered flatly and got up.**

**Piccolo's adorable expression washed away to bring forth his menacing glare and his trademark frown. Before he could say anything I sprinted over to the steps leading out to the chamber floor and stepped out. Satisfied with the distance between myself and the now scowling Namek, I flashed him a Goku-style grin and the peace sign.**

**"C'mon, Piccolo! Don't give me that bratty look and get your nice ass out here. After all, you're the one that wanted to switch to this side of the divide. I bet you just want to have home field advantage for your courting of me— you Namekian Casanova, you!"**

**Piccolo sprung up. "What the hell are you talking about, you delusional psychopath!? I was doing no such thing! I'm your sensei, dammit—I have no intention of—" his rare and emphatic rant was cut off as I phased in front of him, something he had obviously not expected.**

**I grabbed the front of his cape collar and pulled him down, planting a smooch on his cheek. "I know, I know— no need to get all defensive. You really don't take a joke well," I let go off the cloth and grinned up at him.**

**"…are you always gonna be like this?" he asked after a terse pause, giving me a stern look as he tried to regain his façade of the no-bullshit-taking Demon Lord as he took his usual cross-armed stance.**

**"Yes. I will sporadically molest you physically and mentally, so I suggest you get used to it, since the outbursts will be futile to avoid," I answered in an ostentatious tone and gave him a mischievous grin.**

**Piccolo shook his head. "It's my own fault for agreeing to be here, but don't cross the line like that again! I'm not here to be you're—whatever it is you believe I am, so keep your hormones in check while you're around me. The next time I won't be so forgiving," he stated commandingly and gave me an intense glare to emphasize the point.**

**"Too bad I didn't bring any rope. Tying him up is definitely out of the question," I mused out loud to myself as I shrugged at Piccolo's statement and began to head back out to the chamber floor. I felt more then saw him give me a heated glare, as he followed me out to the void just beyond the palace steps.**

**After walking at a steady pace away from the palace, I remembered that Piccolo never clarified his reason for wanting to switch over to his side of the divide. I brushed the thought away, figuring that he probably wanted to test my fighting skills on his side and compare with what he saw on my side.**

**I continued to muse over insignificant things, like whether or not Gohan had gotten screwed with that asshole tutor yet, or if Bulma got that awful perm.**

**"You wanted me to win?" The question made me halt in stride and in thought as I turned to face the gorgeous owner of that mystifying baritone.**

**"What? Oh. You mean the Budokai against Goku?" he gave a slight nod of confirmation. "Yes. I really wanted you to win."**

**I turned back around and kept walking, hoping the subject would be quickly dropped— I didn't want to delve into more of my fangirl feelings for him, but I could feel Piccolo still halted in his spot. I stopped, turned and strode back to him. His expression was thoughtful, as if he was remembering something of long ago. I watched him with an absent sort of fascination; his handsome features retained his brooding scowl, but were softer, as if whatever he was thinking of brought him a sort of solace.**

**"Piccolo…did I say something that—" I was cut off by Piccolo sighing in exhalation. His intense gaze focused on me, his eyes of polished onyx flickered with something I could not recognize.**

**"That was so long ago…" he muttered somewhat pensively as he looked down at me. I looked away, feeling uncomfortable under his heavy gaze. _It was…_**

**"Is your infatuation that hopeless—that you actually wanted me to destroy Goku and enslave the world for my own purposes?" his rumbling question was stoic, veiling any curiosity he could have really felt.**

**I snapped my attention back to him, arching my eyebrows at his inquiry. I thought about it, but I could only come up with one answer. I set my gaze on his alluring features, focusing on his black depths.**

**"Yes."**

**The gorgeous Namek didn't flinch, only raised a brow ridge and crossed his arms with a skeptical air. "You're weird." His tone was serious, but the fact that that phrase came from his lips was so funny to me.**

**I laughed, smiling at him genuinely. "Hm, your powers of perception are quite advanced. I know I'm a weirdo; still doesn't change the fact that you're a sexy-ass mo'fo'."**

**Piccolo cocked his head and grunted— he looked so cute! Before he could ask what the hell that meant, I giggled and shook my head. "Nevermind. Hey, why did you wanna switch to this side?" I asked as I fixed my disoriented bun and glanced at him sideways.**

**Piccolo seemed to forget about our previous conversation as he gave me an unexpected, menacing smirk, narrowing his eyes and showing off a fang at me. _UH OH! I don't like that look,_ was my child-like thought.**

**He walked past me, keeping purposely quiet as he gestured for me to follow. I humphed loudly and followed, trying to figure out just what my sensei had planned for my hide.**

**After walking the distance of two football fields away from the small palace, Piccolo stopped and faced me. "Alright, kid. So far you've been decent in combat," a pleased grin began to quirk my lips, "but your defense sucks!" My grin turned into a thin line and a blue blush streaked the bridge of my nose.**

**"That's why we switched to my side. Here, what I'll show you will be easier for you to pick up, not to mention more interesting to see," my sensei announced in an offhanded-like tone.**

**"Is it a new technique? I mean, that will help me with my defense?" I asked with a rising trepidation, the atmosphere of the void becoming an irritation more than a serious problem.**

**Piccolo snorted. "If this doesn't help you guard your ass from getting pummeled then nothing will," he said in an apathetic tone, while he pulled at his cape collar.**

**_Well! Out with it already! He's actually making me nervous,_ ** **I grumbled mentally.**

**As if to answer my mental remark, the intimidating Namek suddenly swung at me. I blocked just in time by crossing my arms in front of me, his fist causing tremors of pain to shoot to the bone. He pulled his fist back and stepped back, as if convinced of something.**

**The stinging in my forearms was back with intensity as I glared at him. "What the hell was that?!" I shouted at the stoic-faced Namek before me.**

**"Just proving a theory I have. You have good reflexes and you are able to block, you just wish not to when we spar. That's senseless and foolish! An opponent would be able to overwhelm you in battle because you just charge blindly—no regard for protecting yourself, just on landing the punch. That is why this next training exercise is a fool proof way of enabling your combat senses to put out a flawless defense with your offense."**

**He leapt back a couple of yards, until there was at least 30 feet resting between us. "Now," he shouted to me as he held his right hand to his side and started charging up a golden sphere of ki, "before we get to that, you have to learn how to block ki blasts and other energy attacks."**

**My eyes widened at the realization of what he intended to do with that sphere. I heard him chuckle soft— probably from the 'OH SHIT!' look that was written on my face, and then he stated in a wry sort of tone, "This is incredibly simple, kid. Just increase your ki to a subtle increment and slap the blast away from you. If you're ever taken by surprise and you don't have time to slap or dodge the energy attack, just put your arms in front of you and let your ki fortify your forearms to decrease the amount of damage you'll sustain."**

**I nodded absently and tried to focus on my exercise while I tried to ignore the voice in my head that screamed at me to get the hell out of the way. _Just relax! CONCENTRATE. Must concentrate or I'm fried!_**

**My gorgeous but menacing sensei added the final energy touches to his ki sphere and hurled it at me, the swirl and crackling of the energy rushing in a compact stream toward me!**

**I stood there waiting, waiting for the exact moment to increase my ki, measuring for the right instant, and it came. With a shout, I slapped the hot, prickling energy away from me with my left hand. Soon afterward I heard the muffled roar of the explosion buzz in the far distance of the endless chamber. I looked over in utter amazement at the feat I had just accomplished, when my senses sharpened at the feeling of another energy attack rushing my way. I snapped my attention back to Piccolo just in time to see an intense stream of golden energy just feet away from decimating me.**

**Thrusting my crossed forearms in front of me, I barely got enough energy in time to brace my limbs. The energy crashed into my blocking forearms with almost bone-crushing strength, pushing me back with tremendous force at least 25 feet away. I came to a skidding halt and instantly fell to my battered knees, gasping for breath lost from the adrenaline rush. I looked over my arms, noticing that no major damage occurred; only a few scratches ran up and down them and a pair of stinging welts at the center of my forearms.**

**My clothes were singed at the edges and dirty with soot, as if I had grabbed coal and brushed it on my attire. The rubber under my sneakers was warm and the pattern that was once under them was nonexistent.**

**"Goddamn!" I uttered as the fact that I wasn't torn apart by the attack fell on me like a brick. I was floored, mentally of course.**

**"That was the most half-assed block I've ever seen!" I looked up and saw that Piccolo had crossed the distance that was between us and was presently looming over me, judging me with his intense gaze. "Letting your guard down like that will get you killed instantly. No opponent is gonna wait for when you're ready to take an attack, kid. You should've been focused, not distracting yourself with a simple accomplishment that anyone could've done."**

**I placed my palms flat on the chamber floor and pushed my shaking frame up; stood on wobbling legs, but managed to steady myself. Huffing in aggravation, I bit my tongue and kept quiet, not wanting to incite a quarrel with Piccolo by _any_  means necessary. **

**He simply glared at me then turned away with a grunt, his cape fluttering with his brisk stride as he stalked a good distance away from me. _Rrrrrrgh! He's right. That was incredibly stupid! I will NOT let it happen again._**

**With my mental declaration stated, I got into stance just as Piccolo halted and turned to face me. I noticed the subtle twitch of his brow at seeing me ready for anything. He humphed loudly and got into stance.**

**"Well, kid. So you know, I won't hold back in this sparring session," he paused with smugness, then added with seriousness, "but you will."**

**That statement snapped me to attention, pulling me out of stance. "What do you mean? I don't—" I was cut off by Piccolo's commanding growl for silence. I bit my lip to keep from speaking. He seemed to relish in my self-imposed muteness, since he didn't submerge the half smile that quirked his lips.**

**"As I told you before, I have a fool proof exercise that will make you rely on your defense, and _only_  on your defense. You will not be allowed to fight offensively during this session. You're to only block my advances and attacks, not reciprocate them with your own. Is that understood!?" he commanded tersely, his tone rough and sparing no morsel of mercy.**

**I gave him a curt nod, repressing my dumbstruck expression with one as stoic as possible. Getting back into stance, I exhaled loudly and sharpened my senses for anything. Silence reigned in the endless void, not even our breathing was audible. I knew that he was trying to psych me out, waiting for me to lose focus so he could charge at me, but there was no way I was gonna let that happen again.**

**Then with sudden determination, and with a calculating semblance, Piccolo began to charge straight at me, his left fist pulled back in preparation to strike. I strengthened myself and prepared for the rapid combos and merciless blows, but got a surprise when my sensei phased out before even reaching me.**

**_SHIT!_ ** **I shouted in a mental panic; snapped my gaze all around me, but there was no sign of Piccolo. Then suddenly, my senses told me to duck. A flicker of ki shot up in my mind indicating that my opponent was behind me and about to strike. I ducked my frame out of the way just in time from getting a roundhouse kick to the side of the head. I snapped backwards to face Piccolo and blocked his elbow that intended to crash into my back.**

**"Not bad," the Namek remarked in a smarmy tone. I jumped back to give myself some space from him, still in stance. "But you're still too slow, kid." Suddenly he was right in front of me! He threw a punch and I blocked it, then it was a kick, a knee aimed for my gut, a chop at my neck, and then it was rapid combos with all having the purpose of doubling me over or cutting me in half. I barely managed to dodge, block, or duck out of the way in time, but I was still keeping myself alive.**

**It was incredibly frustrating, cuz just when I would think I found a rhythm to Piccolo's strikes, he would throw something else in, like swipe at my legs and send me crashing to the floor on my back.**

**I landed hard, the wind knocked out of me. My vision was blurred but my senses spiked and I rolled out of the way from the moccasin foot that would have bared down on my skull. I crouched and swiped at Piccolo's ankles, but as he was falling backwards, Piccolo threw his arms back and flipped a couple of paces away.**

**I growled in aggravation and pulled myself up, facing the unaffected Namek that glanced over at me from his cross-armed stance. _He fucking loves this. And I can't even lay a finger on him!_  I clenched my jaw and fists, trying to repress the urge of knocking his head back with a good sock to the chin.**

**"Well, I have to admit that I am impressed. I haven't even landed a hit yet," he paused his offhanded tone and faced me completely. "But that's gonna change very soon."**

**Then, this glow of golden light began to engulf his frame and flashed brightly and he began to shout a feral growl. The brightness made me cover my eyes with my forearm. When it was over, I looked back at where Piccolo had been previously standing and felt my jaw tighten painfully and my eyes widen with more than apprehension.**

**Standing only 10 meters away from me were two VERY menacing-looking Piccolos. _His split form? He's gonna go at me with his split form!_  I shouted with panic in my mind and got mechanically back into stance.**

**The Piccolo at the left cracked his knuckles and popped his neck from side to side while the Piccolo on the right rolled his shoulders back and stretched his arms forward.**

**"Hm, this should be interesting," the Piccolo on the right snorted as he gave me an intense look. The Piccolo on the left grunted in agreement and added, "Lets see how good you are at fending off two opponents at the same time, kid."**

**They both phased out. "Fuck."**

**Next thing I knew, my senses were in chaos as I felt the same ki on either side of me about to strike me with crushing blows. I back flipped out of the way, sensing the collision of two fists and the crackling of aura as they met.**

**I snapped back up just in time to see a fist come at me. I dodged the punch but was doubled over with a kick to the stomach from another angle. I clutched my aching midriff and stumbled back coughing and gagging, my throat going dry.**

**"Pathetic." I glanced upward to see one Namek looming over me and the other just out of the corner of my eye at the right. I clenched my teeth and painfully pulled myself to stand straight, giving the Namek in front of me the dirtiest look in existence.**

**The acrid bile rose in my mouth. I spat on the ground, missing his moccasins by a few inches and I ground out, "Needing the help of your split form just to land a hit is what I consider to be pathetic!" I could no longer hold my tongue; was furious and ready to "reciprocate" all his shit 10 times over.**

**I could feel my ki swirl into my bloodstream, and felt the slight crackling and flicker of my aura come to life around me.**

**My statement was the equivalent of spitting in Piccolo's face, and I knew it. In an instant, both Nameks were at me on either side, snarling and growling, pounding into my blocking arms and counters as we moved from the ground to battle in mid air.**

**I couldn't help the cocky smirk pull at my lips as I found myself holding my own against the onslaught. Then, on a semi high from the pure power coursing through my veins, I noticed that I was only holding my own against one of the menacing doubles.**

**Noticing my sudden realization, the Piccolo that was delivering his fierce combo smirked knowingly and almost mockingly at me. Then I felt why he was smirking. A little above where we were battling up in the air, I could sense that the other Namek was presently charging up one of his trademark finishers.**

**I couldn't help the quick glance towards the amazing pull of energy that was throbbing and spiking in the back of my mind. All I had to see was the two energy-glowing fingers that he held up to his brow to know what I'd be getting.**

**_THE SPECIAL BEAM CANNON! OH FUCK!_ ** **I screamed at myself and tried to fend off the attacks from the merciless double, but I lost my edge. The Piccolo in front of me nailed me with a punch to my right side and a knee to the stomach, instantly doubling me over with a strangled wordless shout choking me.**

**Next thing I knew, two laced fists collided into the center of my back, sending me closer and closer to the white floor. I pulled at all my senses and commanded them to make me stop. I saturated my bloodstream with all the energy in my body and willed myself to slow down. Managing to flip over and stick my legs out, I landed forcefully to the ground in a crouch.**

**"Grrrrrgh—DAMMIT!" I shouted from the throbbing in my calves and thighs, glaring up at both of my supercilious opponents. Then I realized I was only glaring at one Piccolo. _OH NO HE WON'T!_  I quickly pressed my hands firmly against the ghostly white floor and kicked my legs back, succeeding in nailing the missing double who had just phased behind me in the chest, sending him stumbling back from me.**

**I clenched my jaw after remembering that I wasn't supposed to fight offensively, and knew that I'd be pounded as soon as I let my guard down. I jumped back into stance then charged at the Namek that was snarling at me for my insolence.**

**"HYAH-RRARGH-HAAH—!" I was in a rapid battle with the furious double and scarcely landing any punches or kicks, but neither was he. Then, just when I thought I was gonna actually get to sock him on the chin, the bitch phased out, and planted his heel in my lower back, sending me flying and skidding against the harsh gravity-weighed floor, my hair coming lose from the bun and flailing around me. I staggered up, hissing at the pain in my right leg, which unceremoniously banged into the ground hardest when I skidded against the chamber floor.**

**Then, time slowed down as I heard on of the most truculent shouts ever uttered in anime.**

**"SPECIAL-BEAM-CANNON!"**

**I looked upwards and saw the spiraling surge of energy heading right for me. _IM GONNA GET SKEWERED!_  I couldn't move, let alone block— my arms were aching and my legs were stuck to their spot.**

**The fear that began to intoxicate my senses suddenly burned and collided with another emotion…hate. I hated being weak, vulnerable _—_  something that could be disposed of so easily. My blood boiled, my aura seethed and the baleful shout that tore from my chest roared in the echoing dimension.**

**Next thing I knew, my senses flashed and crimson light burst from my aura, radiating outward with a smoldering intensity that was something like static and blistering heat all at once.**

**I heard what was like a sonic boom, then a searing brightness engulfed the sky as the attack collided with the crimson light, which I finally noticed to be an energy force field encasing me in the center.**

**After the attack dissipated, causing the atmosphere to reek of scorched ozone, the energy field died and shrank back into my aura.**

**My arms fell to my sides— they had been stretched upward, what I believe was how I kept the force field up— and I fell back on my ass, then on my back, completely worn out. Spots distorted my vision as I noticed another bright light flash then dim. I closed my eyes and just inhaled and exhaled with shallow breaths, trying not to make myself hyperventilate with the little will I possessed.**

**My hearing was sort of muffled, but I managed to pick up the sound of padding steps coming toward me.**

**Then I felt cloth brush my left arm. "Hey!" My hearing started to clear up. I looked up to be accosted by two pools of onyx that were focused behind narrowed emerald eyelids.**

**"Hm, nice to see you're still conscious, kid." There was a mocking twinge in Piccolo's tone, but it was almost nonexistent, due to the fact that his voice was gruff and ragged from exerted breath. He was kneeling at my side, his cape slightly brushing my arm as it swayed with his movements.**

**I just let my eyes trace his handsome face, too tired to even make conversation.**

**I guess the yummy Namek was sort of surprised by my silence, since he put up three fingers and held them away from my face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" he said in a gruff, almost husky tone, a smirk pulling the corner of his lips.**

**"Hm, depends. Tell your clone to stop dancing behind you so I can concentrate," I snorted in a scratchy tone.**

**Piccolo looked back with a sweatdrop on the side of his head. I coughed out a laugh, which got him to set his intense gaze on me.**

**"Very funny. Can you stand?" he grumbled, but his scowl softened a bit.**

**I sat up, and Piccolo stood to his imposing height. I pulled my knees up and prepared to perform the laborious task of hauling my ass up to stand, but then an unexpected hand was hung in front of me, offering to assist me up. I glanced up at Piccolo, who was nonchalantly looking off to the side. A smile crept over my lips, and I accepted the gesture, taking hold of his large emerald hand, his tapered fingers closed around mine as he pulled me up to stand.**

**As soon as I stood, I stumbled on wobbling legs and I ended up leaning against Piccolo, who sort of stopped me from falling, awkwardly of course.**

**With the left side of my face brushing against the cloth of his gi shirt, I had a perfect advantage for inhaling his rugged scent, heightened by the sweat that still clung to his leather-like skin.**

**I felt a gentle hand brush the hair on the back of my head, then run slender, but strong fingers through my hair. I stiffened, but then relaxed—my hair is my total weakness! I love having someone brush it for me. I feel like a big cat, of course I don't purr or do anything weird like that.**

**The realization that Piccolo was sort of petting me and simply allowing me to be this close to him overwhelmed me. I wanted to stay like that forever, just being held against him, surrounded by his scent and his warmth.**

**But of course, he had to jinx the moment by talking. "You need to rest. Go to the palace and eat something. That is if you can stand straight and stop leaning on me," he remarked in his trademark gruff and harsh tone, sort of nudging me away so I could stand by myself.**

**I couldn't repress the smirk as I stood away from him and stretched, surprised to see that most of the throbbing and stinging pain that a lot of my body felt was drawing back to subtle aches.**

**"It's fine. I'm ready to go another round." I cracked my knuckles and stretched some more, finding that my stamina reserves were being almost miraculously replenished by some inner force or something.**

**Piccolo frowned at me, his brows knitted with irritation. "Don't be careless! If you don't slow down and take care of your body it's gonna give out on you," his tone was almost unquestionable, almost.**

**"Hm. I said I am fine. You needn't worry—I'm not tired or hungry anyway," I stated with an undertone of bravado. Of course I was starving! I hadn't gotten a bite to eat or to drink in hours, and it was more annoying since I didn't even eat breakfast. But, I wasn't gonna just take a lunch break now and go off and rest so I would have to fall into the rhythm of sparring again.**

**Plus, this was what I wanted for so long: to spar, have some sort of solidarity with Piccolo, to gain his respect. I knew that the only way to do so was in battle, matching each other with strength and agility.**

**My sensei gave me a stern once over. "Fine," he grumbled, then added stoically, "This'll be an all out spar session, then. Energy blasts, phasing, everything you've learned; don't hold back kid, cuz I won't." He got into stance; was so close that I finally noticed that most of the superficial wounds on his gorgeous face were healed.**

**I fell into my own stance. We stood there, facing each other, neither blinking so as to not give the other the advantage of phasing. Then…**

**BOCK! BOCK! GOOM! BIT-BASH—!**

**We went at each other at the exact same time, tenacity and iron stubbornness in both of our gazes. It was merely hand-to-hand, but neither of us was bearing through the other's defenses. Of course, Piccolo began to use his expertise in trash talk to try and waiver my concentration.**

**"C'MON KID! Stop trying to hit me and HIT ME!" he shouted challengingly as he ducked away and out of the course of a roundhouse kick, then swatted away a ki ball I had thrown before flipping out of the way of his long, kicking legs.**

**"Shut-up and stop moving if you want me to hit you so bad!" I shouted through clenched teeth. Then, foolishly thinking I was far enough from his powerful limbs and that all I had to worry about was energy blasts, Piccolo's left arm thrusted towards me like a python and he clamped his hand on my slender neck; retracted the powerful limb, bringing me to be nose to nose with him.**

**He tightened his grip, forcing the air in my throat to press against my lungs, trying to find release.**

**"You're gonna let me snap your neck?! C'mon! Get out of this! Your lungs will cave in on you if you don't!" he snarled as he bared his fangs at my weakness, my legs going limp from the lack of oxygen.**

**"CAH-AHNT!" I pounded at his forearm, digging my talon like nails into his leathery flesh, and his grip only intensified. "TRYIINGH!" I could feel my temples throbbing from my frenzied pulse and my lungs screamed for oxygen.**

**"Don't try! DO!" his shouting was getting muffled as if I was falling fast, and the only thing that was loud was the fierce beating of my heart as it banged into my chest.**

**_I-WILLNOT-FAIL!_ **

**Next thing I knew, I shouted like a maddened animal and pulled my legs up and wrapped them around Piccolo's neck, squeezing with all my might. Then, he let go of my neck to attempt to pry my legs off, giving me the leverage I needed. I pulled my upper body down and flipped, so my legs gripped around his thick neck pulled and hurled him over. I hit the floor and landed on my stomach, gasping hungrily for oxygen while Piccolo skidded against the chamber floor meters behind me.**

**Ghost fingers still gripped my neck as my blood pounded through the veins that had been stifled from their purpose. The burning of my lungs ceased as my pants and gasps drew back to laborious inhaling and exhaling. _How the hell did I do that?_**

**Before my mind could answer me, I was hauled up by the back of the shirt and then swiftly kicked in the midriff, sending me crashing to the ground a good distance away from my original panting place.**

**The thick bile rose in my mouth, my gagging reflex almost getting me to keel over and hurl the contents of my empty stomach. I fell to my knees, then my stomach. My hair clung to my sweaty skin, messy but surprisingly not a bird's nest of tangles. I felt a ki surge stalking towards me, so I came up with a half-assed strategy and hoped it would at least suffice. The static and heat that radiated from Piccolo's intense aura licked at my exposed skin and gave me goosebumps.**

**"You're resilient," my sensei's statement sounded more like an insult than praise. I just laid flat on my stomach, not moving; _Just wait for it…_  I instructed myself and waited for Piccolo's almost predictable move.**

**I could almost feel the sneer he directed to my back. "If you won't get up I'll kick you up!" He pulled his foot back with the intention of kicking me like a football, but before his foot came to strike my side, I grabbed his heel and turned it to an awkward angle, then sent him flying back with a kick that connected with his abs.**

**"OOF!" he landed on his back, taken so by surprise by my possum trick that he glared incredulously back at me.**

**I pulled myself up. "Well after all that bitchin' you did about wanting me to hit you all you can do is look at me like an angsty Green Bean!" I scoffed at him, whipping my hair out of my face.**

**Piccolo snarled and sprung up, powered up, and flew at me with that gliding speed of his. I powered up as well, got into stance, and blocked the flurry of fists, kicks and energy blasts. I blocked all of it, and surprised myself with the grace and ease I did so.**

**Then, my vision got into this focus, like when something is slowed down for you. I could sense Piccolo's attack before he was even done with the one preceding it!**

**When I caught Piccolo's fist and gave him a sweet sock to the chin, I was floored. "You're getting slow," I mused gruffly as he stumbled back a few steps.**

**"You cocky—!" Piccolo got cut off by the fist I planted in his gut, which actually doubled him over. Then I gave him a good blow to the chin with my knee. He flew upwards from the blow. I phased out to appear where he would have kept ascending to and nailed him in the back with laced fists— sweet payback for before— sending him like a volleyball to spike back to the chamber floor.**

**However, Piccolo landed like a cat on his feet, glaring with incredible malice up at me in the air.**

**Then, HE DID IT! He made my heart race fangirl style as he took his turban off and let it fall from his grasp; pulled the shoulder pads and cape off and tossed them off to the side. He was in his delicious glory! His emerald pecs peeking out from under the plum gi shirt, his pink shoulder, bicep and tricep muscles flexing from the lack of weight they were used to having placed on them, and his antennae vacillating as he glowered at me with that iron countenance.**

**I pinched my nose just in time to thwart the nosebleed that planned to shoot out in a spurt. He was fucking delectable! I felt the heat come to my cheeks at how stupid I must've looked, being up in the air pinching my nose as I stared at Piccolo.**

**Managing to gain enough composure to restrain my hormones, I phased down to the ground to stand across from the sexy-ass Namek.**

**Piccolo's gaze was like jagged steel as he glared fiercely at me, dragging his gaze up to my eyes and boring his onyx orbs into me.**

**Suddenly, an expression I hadn't expected to creep onto his features appeared. His scowl softened and he actually gave me a lopsided smile. "You didn't hesitate. Nice to see that you learned something after the pummeling I've given you, kid."**

**I couldn't help the impish grin pull my lips. It was more than flattering to have Piccolo acknowledge me in that way, to see my progress and be satisfied with it.**

**"At the rate you're going you'll probably have all the combat training you need in less than the year we're in here," he remarked offhandedly and walked over to me, his arms at his sides, letting my eyes wander over his strong neck, defined collarbones and clavicle, then the top of his delectable-looking pecs, which were all glistening with a thin sheet of sweat that clung to his emerald skin.**

**When he was standing only paces away from me, I diverted my gaze from his sculpted physique. "I don't think that's true. I mean, I was barely able to not get kicked around like soccer ball the whole time we sparred," I mumbled as I looked over to the side, fidgeting with my hair as I spoke.**

**Piccolo grunted softly, pulling my gaze back to his handsome visage. "Don't think you are. Know you are," he stated stoically as he crossed his arms over his chest.**

**I cocked an eyebrow at his statement, wondering why it sounded so familiar, when it hit me. I looked at Piccolo, bit my lip, then started laughing my ass off.**

**"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA-AHAHAHEHE—!" I doubled over from the laughter then fell to the ground, not able to contain myself. My laughter was so much that I could hardly breathe. "Oh God! Hahahaha—Morpheus! The Matrix! Hahahahahaa!"**

**My Namekian roommate and sparring partner stared at me with a sweatdrop on the side of his head. After it was obvious that the only way the laughter would die away was to interrogate me, Piccolo growled like a panther. "Grrrrgh! WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY?" he shouted practically in my face.**

**I was regaining control, but it was just too damn much. When I looked up at Piccolo, I realized that he even sorta looked like Morpheus! That almost got me to die laughing again, since it was sorta like I was Neo and we were both sparring like in the dojo scene.**

**"Nothing! Hehehe, just trying to 'free my mind'," I grinned ridiculously and said the last part with my cheap Morpheus impression as I stood up in a leap, and then jumped in the air and hovered stupidly in front of a very perturbed Piccolo.**

**God I wish I had those little sunglasses he wears so I could put them on Piccolo. He'd look so awesome, then add the suit and tie and trench coat and the costume would be complete!**

**As I mused over the way Piccolo would look fighting against agents, I got bonked really hard on the head. "What the hell are yah babbling like a moron for? And who is this 'Morpheus' you mentioned?" Piccolo interrogated gruffly as he glowered down at me.**

**That brought me back to ground as I rubbed the top of my head. I looked up at him, his sexy lips in a sort of pout.**

**"It's just what you said before was a popular quote from this awesome movie and you reminded me of the character and—" Piccolo cut my rant off by clamping his large hand over my face, instantly silencing me.**

**"Kid, I really don't care anymore. Control yourself already," he grumbled sternly as I peered at him through the gaps between his splayed fingers. His hand was really warm and not calloused like I had expected it to be. It reeked of his rugged scent and his palm was tough but smooth at the same time.**

**I had to REALLY restrain myself from licking and kissing his palm and taking every single digit into my mouth. I shut my eyes and exhaled, my breath hitting my face as Piccolo pulled his hand away.**

**When I looked back up at Piccolo's expression, I knew then and there that I was royally screwed. His eyes were flickering with this menacing quality and his scowl was replaced by a sadistic quirk in his features.**

**"Now," he rumbled deeply, lowering himself to eye level with me, "where were we?" his tone was smug but was accompanied with a cold and calculating feel to his words, letting me know my ass was in jeopardy after the show I put on during our spar.**

**"Argh…I forgot?" I replied with an apprehensive inflection in my voice.**

**"Hm, good thing I didn't, kid. You owe me—" He leaned in closer, "Big Time."**

**_AHHHRGH! Why can't we just kiss, fuck, and make up!_ ** **I rhymed in my head as retribution let me know that it too could be one Hell of a Bitch!**

* * *

 

**_God, I reek!_ ** **She thought as she sniffed herself, her nose wrinkling at her disheveled appearance.**

**The sparring match had come out to a draw, which was the best she had ever expected for her to turn out in a fight against the cut throat Namek who was presently leading the way back to the small palace in the middle of the endless void.**

**The manner that it had come to be a draw was fluttering in her mind, getting her to bite her lip and brush the moment away.**

**Landing just before the steps going into the main room, Piccolo walked up and entered, the gravity easing off of his shoulders. Sofia landed with a graceful padding of her converse behind him.**

**Glaring at the steps and hating the fact that she would have to exhaust herself with the task of going over to them, Sofia forced her legs to carry her so that she could collapse in the gravity-relieved floor of the palace.**

**She sighed mentally, too tired to do it physically, _AT LEAST IT'S OVER WITH! I can take a bath and lose the B.O. and EAT! Soooo hungry,_  she whined mentally as she stumbled over the first step and practically hopped the next 2 to be in the palace.**

**Piccolo, without his weighed gear, stretched his tense back and wiped the sweat that still clung to his brow. "Get something to eat and relax for a while. Afterwards we'll go back and spar some more," he stated stoically. Hearing a weird scuffing sound behind him, he turned his head to his pupil, and found himself looking at an empty spot.**

**He grunted, then looked down. At hearing her sensei's comment, Sofia deflated and sunk to the floor like a pool of discarded cloth. Piccolo looked at her with a sweatdrop hanging leveled with his turban-less head.**

**"…I gotta go to tha bathroom," Sofia stated flatly as her deflated form dragged itself to the mentioned room, went in, and slammed the sliding door behind itself.**

**Piccolo just stared at the door with his brow raised. 'I wonder what that was about,' mused Nail with curiosity in his tone to his baffled counterpart.**

**'Don't know and don't care,' Piccolo grumbled as he lowered himself to sit in the lotus position and leaned his back against a pillar of the entrance, just a few paces away from the kitchen. He crossed his arms and bowed his head, relaxing to the point of zoning out his surroundings and beginning his meditation.**

**'Hey Piccolo. Perhaps she is perturbed about having to spar with you again after what happened during your last session,' remarked Nail just as Piccolo was easing into his meditative state.**

**Piccolo grunted in aggravation, more from the fact that his counterpart brought that circumstance up than from the fact he interrupted his meditation.**

**His mind remembered with vivid detail what had occurred. They had been in intense battle above the chamber floor for hours. They had wagered that whoever touched the chamber floor below first would be the loser, so both fighters were focused and fiercely determined to topple and drive the other to the ground.**

**Kick, block, uppercut, phase; combos in almost every style and the blows and shouts echoed in the endlessness, neither of the competitors prevailed in the intensity. Both, frustrated and irritated by the others resilience, suddenly and simultaneously cupped their hands outward and discharged a ki blast, sending each other to be blown back towards the chamber floor.**

**Skidding to a halt only mere meters from the floor, both opponents glowered at each other. _That was close_ , they both thought as they caught their breaths, their glares never leaving the other.**

**Then they phased and were back at each other higher in the air, every blow and shout resonating. They weren't exhausted, but on the contrary were spurred on by determined energy and perseverance. Although, one shared quality kept nagging at them. Impatience. This impatience led to their mutual downfall and to the odd outcome of the session.**

**Fueled by exasperated impatience, Piccolo struck Sofia with a hit to the jaw, which snapped her frame backwards towards the ground. As she fell backwards, she reciprocated by kicking Piccolo in the chin, which jarred his jaw and sent him ascending.**

**They both halted in the air, Piccolo in the zenith and Sofia 50 feet from the ground. Snarling in agitation, Piccolo powered up and lost his patience.**

**"MA-SENKO-HA!" he shouted between clenched teeth as the powerful ki blast discharged from his palms and followed a course straight towards Sofia.**

**Momentarily panicking at her sensei's sudden attack, Sofia swatted the pulsing blast away from her with her telekinesis and blindly shot her own ki blast. Both blasts followed a parallel course as they ascended past Piccolo, missing the Namek by only a couple of feet.**

**Then, both fighters watching the course of their energies; Piccolo's blast touched Sofia's and detonated in an almost deafening roar— the shock waves rippling in the atmosphere. Those shock waves collided against Piccolo's back and sent him hurdling to the chamber floor, not before he collided with Sofia on the way down and took her with him.**

**"OOF-ACK!" Both contenders hit the floor just as the waves began to dissipate and the roar began to dull and grow to a murmuring echo, Sofia on her back with Piccolo on top of her.**

**Both were gasping from having the breath knocked out of their lungs, their panting lips only inches away from the others. When they managed to acquire steady intakes of oxygen back to their strangled breaths, they finally became aware of their present positions.**

**"…" Staring wide eyed at each other, their facial features flushed slightly as the nearness of the other assaulted their composures. They were pressed fully against each other, their sweat mingling and their hands absently clutching each other— Sofia gripped the cloth at his sides as Piccolo had both hands planted against her back, basically under her.**

**They were so close that the bulbous tip of his antennas subtly grazed her bangs and forehead; their lips were in danger of brushing against one another.**

**Sofia let her hands trail up to his shoulder blades, causing him to stiffen in surprise, then gripped his shoulders tightly.**

**"Piccolo…you're crushing my solar plexus—" she breathed out in a strangled and embarrassed tone.**

**Snapped out of his slightly mortified daze, Piccolo nodded and got up off of her. Sofia stayed sprawled on the floor, a bright tint assaulting her gently-pronounced cheekbones.**

**Repressing a lustful sigh, she pulled herself off the ground and stood with her head bowed, not directing her gaze in any way to Piccolo.**

**Piccolo pulled his composure together and turned away from her. "We're going back to the palace," he stated, and without a glance towards her, shot up into the sky. Sofia snapped herself into apathy and followed her sensei's lead.**

**_A fucking tie._ ** **Piccolo thought as he brushed the memory away and snapped his eyes closed, grunted, and relaxed, falling out of his general meditation pose and leaning his broad back against the cold pillar behind him.**

**'I should've known better than to get mixed up with that girl,' he grumbled.**

**'Just stop denying your feelings and it will become easier,' suggested Nail aloofly.**

**'Why do you insist upon such a stupid idea! I'm a Namek! I can't feel anything for her and I don't!' snapped Piccolo gruffly at Nail.**

**'Are you that ignorant?! You actually believe that Nameks aren't capable of emotional attachment? You might be asexual, but you're not heartless. Loving and having an attachment to someone is part of every living being's soul— it's a yearning that everyone has, and you're not excluded,' Nail lectured emphatically.**

**'I'm the sole heir of Piccolo Daimaou and the present Demon Lord! Of course I'm excluded,' Piccolo ground out tersely.**

**Nail paused, but countered with a scrupulous question. 'What about Gohan?'**

**'…'**

**'He sparked your conscience, Piccolo— he also became your best friend and was your first emotional attachment, remember? So… you're not restrained to a cold, emotionless existence. And, you're gravitating to her for the same reasons. She makes you feel things that you cannot explain, and as much as you deny it…you care for her.'**

**Nail received silence as a response.**

* * *

 

**She splashed icy water onto her face and tried to repress the trembling of her hands as she glared at herself in the mirror. _It's official…he wants to kill me!_ She shouted in her mind as she wrung the excess water out of a washcloth and began to clean her wounds. Her battered knuckles stung and her body ached with bruises. She frowned at the bruise that discolored the right side of her jaw and huffed through her nose like an angry bull. The metallic taste of blood began to dissipate as she reflected on the last embarrassing situation.**

**She sniffed herself once again and grimaced. _Not only do I reek, but Piccolo has really bad B.O.! I can smell him on my shirt_ , she paused and blushed.**

**_Err…_ ** **she noticed the necklace tucked under her shirt collar and pulled it out so that she could see if the pendant had sustained any damage. It was impeccably intact. She let the pendant rest over her shirt as she glared once again at her disheveled reflection. _Hmph! Bastard…I look like a cat that got kicked around too many times. Dammit!_  She clenched her fists as her aggravation began to suffocate her; wanted to scream, to let out her frustration that had been mounting the whole day.**

**_He won. He can walk around smugly and look down at me with that arrogant air of his because I look like a wreck while he doesn't even have a scratch,_ ** **she snapped fiercely in her mind as she pounded the counter with her fist, causing it to tremble slightly.**

**She scowled at the mirror, but soon looked flabbergasted at what was being projected to her. The pendant pulsed fluently and her skin began to prickle. Then before her eyes, the bruise on her jaw began to un-swell and her natural color began to seep back to the area until there was no sign of the wound. She instinctively looked at her arms. The scrapes and swells were being healed, fading away like as if erased by mere will. Then her severely bruised back lost the aching throb that had resided there. After inspecting her entire form, she marveled at her regeneration.**

**"Perk numba 3…" she muttered in awe as she gazed at the garnet stone of the pendant, which whatever power that had pulsed from it had once again gone dormant.**

**Her thunderstruck expression melted to one of extreme elation. "I can regenerate—like a Namek! This is awesome!" she began to stretch her relieved limbs and grinned mischievously at herself in the mirror. She went about cleaning up as much as she could with the washcloth, then combed her hair back to its straight style.**

**Thrilled by the significance of her new ability, she pulled the door to the side and strode out with a smug strut in her pace, the grin never leaving her lips. She walked over and saw Piccolo sitting next to the pillars of the entrance with his eyes closed and his frame resting against the pillar.**

**Hearing her steps, Piccolo raised an eyelid to scrutinize her. After looking her over and sensing something had changed in her appearance, he focused his entire gaze on her.**

**"You look different—why!?" he asked gruffly. Sofia's grin widened. "Well?!"**

**Her gaze was of pure smugness. "Oh. Just got a new power," she paused as Piccolo raised a skeptical brow ridge at her. To emphasize further, she extended her left forearm in front of her and with her other hand dug her now dagger-like talons into her flesh and dragged her nails upward, instantly creating deep gashes. She did this with a slight intake and hiss of breath.**

**"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Piccolo shouted in shock as he sprung up and grabbed Sofia's arm to stop her. He held the wrist of the injured arm and pulled the other away as he glared at her.**

**"RELAX! Just look," she commanded and gestured to her injured arm. Piccolo looked and clenched his jaw tightly. No blood poured out— then before his eyes, the gashes were melding together and sealing up, until not even a scar was left.**

**"…you can heal yourself." He dragged out after a tense silence.**

**"I prefer to say 'Regenerate', Namek. Now the odds are officially even between us," she stated coolly and pulled her arm out of his grip.**

**He grunted and stared at her, wondering just how much she was going to change during the year. _Acquiring so many abilities in such a short time is unheard of. If she keeps it up she'll have the potential to be virtually unstoppable in battle,_  he commented mentally as he scoffed and went to meditate, shrugging off her presence. **

**She rolled her eyes at his usual indifference and went to the kitchen to sate her severe hunger. Deciding to pig out Saiyan style, she went about preparing all the foods of her liking that wouldn't take long to make. The main room echoed with the noise of pots clanking together, drawers being sifted through, plates and bowls clanking when placed on the counter, the sink running, the slamming of the refrigerator door, and so on from the kitchen.**

**Piccolo's chances of getting any meditation done were completely shot to hell with the racket being made. He had the right mind to holler for her to stop, but remembered how he berated her for not eating, and decided against it.**

**After a short while, tantalizing scents began to waft into the main room. Piccolo found himself involuntarily finding the scents pleasing, but decided to give his meditation one more try to drown out the feeling.**

**Sofia came back to the main room with a plate balanced between the crook of her arm, one bowl held in one hand and another smaller one in the other. Behind her were two ice cold bottles of water that floated to her pace. She noticed Piccolo, back in his usual pose— with his scowling brow and pouting lips— and couldn't help chuckle at his bratty expression.**

**The handsome Namek acknowledge her presence with a sharp glance, to which she feigned indifference. She went over and placed her meal on the floor just across from him. She then took the floating water bottles in her hands and offered one to him. His scowl melted into his stoic semblance as he reluctantly accepted her offering, being that he was very thirsty from the previous sessions.**

**She gave him a simple smile as she went to sit in front of her bountiful meal, her legs crossed just like Piccolo's. She was facing him, but was too famished and tired to care if watching her eat was repulsive to him.**

**"You know, that table's purpose is for such occasion of stuffing your face," remarked gruffly Piccolo as he gave her an intense stare.**

**"That table is too small for all of this, and the floor seems more comfortable anyway," she responded coolly and began to choose her first meal. She had before her 2 very grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, a bowl filled with ramen, and a pair of 'platano' accompanied with olive oil, salt, and a hard-boiled egg.**

**Piccolo grunted and shut his eyes so as to get some meditation during her hopefully quiet meal. Unfortunately for him, her meal was nowhere near quiet.**

**SLLLLLUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!**

**Snapping his eyes irritably open, he saw that Sofia had chosen the bowl of ramen, and was presently spooning the noodles in her mouth and slurping obnoxiously, but unintentionally loud. He just glared at her and cringed with every loud slurp, the sound like nails on a chalk board to his ears.**

**"Grrrrh! Must you do that!?" he growled in aggravation.**

**Sofia looked up at him, with a cascade of noodles in mid slurp at her lips. He grimaced at her and decided to take that time to gulp the contents of his water bottle down.**

**Slurping the contents she presently had, she wiped her mouth and glared at him. "It's ramen. The only way to eat them is by slurping," she paused as she got a searing glare from Piccolo. "Fine," she put the bowl down and picked up one of the sandwiches. "Happy?!" she scoffed.**

**Piccolo humphed and shut his eyes once again. He corrected his posture and began to clear his mind.**

**CRRRUNCH!-MUNCH, MUNCH, MUNCH!**

**Sofia had begun to devour the sandwich, which was very crunchy and toasted; the cheese bubbling hot as she licked the edges from where it seeped out.**

**"YOU'RE DOING IT ON PURPOSE! Cut it out!" roared haughtily Piccolo, his shout echoing in the room.**

**"NO I'M NOT! I'm eating, for Chryzsakes! Did you expect me to inhale my food quietly?!" she snapped challengingly.**

**"Yes!" he snarled hostilely.**

**She scoffed, took what remained of her sandwich and chomped it in one bite; then took the other and followed the same strategy, devouring it in less that 3 bites. As she did this she glared at Piccolo with a challenging gaze. Chugging some water, she gave him a haughty glare, then picked up the remaining food she hadn't yet savored.**

**"This is quiet food, so if you like you can take your nap now," she stated in a condescending tone.**

**Piccolo narrowed his onyx eyes at her. "Watch your tongue!" he grumbled before grunting and resuming his previous pastime.**

**As if by magic, the room was shrouded in silence. Piccolo inwardly smiled as he submerged himself in his meditation. Falling deep into the abyss of his conscious, his mind cleared and began to seek his own type of nirvana: knowledge. His best strategies always sprung from a calming session of meditation. He also saw disturbing visions, usually left over memories inherited by his father, but otherwise were semi premonitions of powerful pulls of energy that tended to disturb the Earth.**

**His mind was veiled in a crimson haze, as if a bloody mist was suddenly billowing through to him. Curious, Piccolo followed the eerie pull that his senses were being subjected to, falling deeper into his conscious. He suddenly felt like he was standing in a puddle, and decided to perch down and dip his fingers in the liquid.**

**_Blood_ ** **. The crimson liquid shimmered against his emerald fingers. He stood instantly and whirled around, the darkness around him becoming almost suffocating.**

**_Mai… futagoza hitoshii…_ **

**The voice was barely a disembodied breath resonating in the darkness. _Who's there!? Show yourself!_  Piccolo snarled ready for anything.**

**_Kitanai oni!_ ** **The words were spat with contempt, the voice barely a contained growl. _KIEUSERU!_**

**Piccolo got into stance, but was pulled out of the darkness by his savior: obnoxious slurping.**

* * *

 

**SLURRRRP!**

**"Delicious…" she looked over and noticed Piccolo didn't snap out of his trance. "Hm." She began to guzzle the remaining liquid from the bowl, now purposely making the irritating noises Piccolo so despised.**

**When she looked up from the bowl, she froze at the icy glare she was receiving from Piccolo. He grunted, but then shifted his gaze, as if distracted by thought. Sofia cocked an eyebrow at his sudden detachment, but was assaulted by a sudden belch.**

**BURRRP!**

**"Damn, 'scuse me!" Piccolo glared at her in disgust, thinking she could have been Goku's kid sister with such table manners.**

**"You fucking slob—can't you keep quiet for an extended period of time!?" he snapped haughtily and grimaced disdainfully.**

**"Hey! I said excuse me and I haven't said a goddamn thing to you the whole day, so take your extended period of silence and shove it!" She proceeded to grab all the dirty plates and huffed her way to the kitchen, and came storming back in.**

**Piccolo was on the brink of losing control. If only he could get silence! Especially after the disturbing and eerie vision he had suffered. Then he got an ingenious idea, but decided that he could force the technique by using his discretion as sensei.**

**He looked at Sofia with iron sternness. "Alright—enough! It's time for a new training exercise."**

**Sofia cocked her head to the side and grunted, finding the sudden shift from bickering to training odd.**

**Piccolo smirked to himself. "Now. You need to learn when to just listen and keep silent, especially if you're facing an opponent that you cannot see or sense. That's why for the next hour we'll take a vow of silence," he instructed gruffly.**

**Sofia snorted. "So, you're saying that neither of us can talk for the next hour?"**

**He nodded, expertly hiding his smugness. Not able to come up with a quip back, Sofia shrugged and sat back on the floor, going completely silent.**

**Satisfied by her obedience, Piccolo shut his eyes and simply relished in the utter silence. _It actually worked._  He thought as he straightened his posture and relaxed the tension built up in his upper back.**

**His tranquility was short lived, however.**

**He felt Sofia get up and heard the subtle sound of her retreating feet as she walked to her room. An instant later, she returned and sat in her previous spot. _What the hell is she doing know…_  Piccolo grumbled to himself, but knew that whatever it was, she would in no way speak.**

**Then he heard the slight swish of paper and a fluent scribbling noise.**

**He opened his eyes and saw Sofia, sitting with her knees up and a sketchpad held in front of her, writing. She looked up over to him for a quick moment, then ducked her head back behind the sketchpad.**

**Getting incredibly annoyed, Piccolo opened his mouth to yell at her, but realized that he had included himself in the vow of silence, so he would be contradicting himself, and that was the last thing he needed to encourage her insubordination.**

**Then, she finished writing, flipped the sketchpad over and showed it to Piccolo.**

Hey Piccolo. Do you plan on trying to gain world domination after Frieza gets taken out? And if you do, can I help?

**She followed his roaming eyes and grinned when he looked back up at her. He smirked at her ploy. _Very clever, kid_.**

**She suddenly offered the pad to him and the pencil, giving him a look of insisting his participation. He frowned at her. She pouted, pulled the pad back, wrote in it and showed him.**

Hey, I'm keeping silent like you instructed, oh wise sensei!

**Piccolo glared at her after reading the message, then snatched the pad and pencil harshly.** **He wrote tersely and gave it back to her.**

No you're not gonna take over the world, or no I can't help? **Was her response, to which she cocked an eyebrow and smirked when he looked back at her.**

The secod one is a defintly no. I'm stil not sure abot the first one. **She deciphered his jumbled handwriting after being handed back the pad and managed to understand his answer.**

**She gave him a cool look. Then she wrote in very bold letters and handed him the message.**

YOU FAIL AT GRAMMAR, NAMEK! **She grinned goofily at him.**

**Piccolo was not amused. He gripped the pad, and wrote heatedly, irritation causing his features to slightly flinch.**

DO NOT GET SMAT WITH ME, KID! IT NOT MY FALT

**He shoved the sketchpad towards her and scowled, the vein at his temple becoming pronounced.**

What do you mean; you dyslexic or something! But you read perfectly

**She held up the pad and looked at him curiously. Piccolo begrudgingly took the pad ad wrote his response.**

My father culd read inglish perfectly, but he culdnt rite it well not that he evr trye realy. So I got stuk with that deficincy bein that I inerited dose basic knoledje from him. And it not importat weder I can read or rite good. It servs no purpos for me. I rite japannese wel and am fluen in Namekkian and the othr to. That sufises.

**Sofia had to repress the "Awww!" that wanted to escape her lips after reading Piccolo's reply. She had to really contain a giggle, being that as she read his response, in her mind she heard Piccolo's voice speaking as she read, so his tone in her mind sounded like baby talk. She bit her lip and began to write her reply.**

Well, you're way wiser than me in other aspects that my impeccable grammar skills don't even compare. **Was her sincere compliment, which got Piccolo to arch a curious brow at her.**

Wahtevr. **Was the apathetic response she read as he stared off to the side.**

Hey Piccolo. Do you like fighting side by side with Goku, I mean, you were arch rivals…

**He gave her a stoic stare after seeing how she sheepishly handed the pad back to him.**

**He thought a while of how to phrase his answer correctly, then wrote. He handed her the pad and waited for her expression.**

Dumb Question.

**Sofia looked up at him with her eyes narrowed sardonically. She wrote back, handed him the pad, and waited for his trademark expression.**

SHITTY ANSWER!

**His scowl deepened and his eyes were narrowed menacingly. He snatched the pad and began to write as heatedly as before.**

It doesnt mater waht I thinc of Goku! He is a baka that beat me wonce! I don't care waht hapens to him. I will surpas him eventualy and cary on with my plans, wen I feel the time is right.

**Sofia stared at his answer for a solid minute before looking back up at him. She wrote her reply and shoved it towards him forcefully for the first time.**

What about Gohan? I guess you wouldn't care what happened to him either, huh. I believe you've found your calling, Green Bean, and it ain't world domination or killing Goku! After all, that's so in nowadays!

**_What is this! That's the second time that I've had that thrown in my face today!_ ** **Was his grumbled mental remark as he took the pad, tersely wrote in it, then tossed on Sofia's lap.**

ENOUFF ALREDY Not anothr fuking mesaje.

**His intense gaze backed up his written command, so she left the pad on her lap and sighed.**

**He huffed through his nose and closed his eyes, letting the silence relieve his aggravation.**

**Then, after a fleeting moment of deafness, the sound of paper being ripped echoed subtly in the main room, accompanied by frenzied scribbling.**

**When Piccolo snapped his eyes open to glare at Sofia, a page from the sketchpad was hanging in front of his line of glaring.**

Hey Piccolo. How do you pee?—very curious

**"Arrgrrrh!" Piccolo took the page in his hands and tore it wildly to shreds, then tossed it over his head— the pieces flailing in the air like falling feathers— the veins of his temples were throbbing furiously.**

**Sofia looked at him with saucer-like eyes and bit her lower lip, a sweatdrop hung leveled with the side of her head.**

**After a minute, Piccolo pulled his composure together just as fast as he lost it and stood up. He took a cleansing breath and started walking to the palace steps.**

**'You know, it is normal for her to be curious about that, seeing as we have different physio—' Nail's aloof remark was cut off.**

**'SHUT-UP-NAIL!'**

**He composed himself deeper, then looked back at Sofia stoically.**

**"C'mon. We're going back to train," his monotone reverberated in the room. He turned his back to her and disappeared behind the pillars, out of her line of vision.**

**_He completely lost it! Talk about getting your panties in a twist,_ ** **her perturbed expression melted away. "Hey! Wait up," she shouted and ran after him, giggling as she followed him back out into the endlessness.**

**She didn't even realize that he had contradicted himself by breaking the vow of silence first.**

* * *

 

**_Soooo tired….must-make-it-to bed,_ ** **Sofia trudged towards the doorway leading to her side of the divide.**

**She had spent several hours at the mercy of a moody Namek and suffered few aches and pains, but the energy reserves that had spurred her on throughout her whole day were now depleted. She traversed the threshold and pulled her exhausted feet out of her sneakers, leaving them discarded by the dresser as she pulled herself towards the bed.**

**Crawling up to the pillow and over the disheveled comforter, she instantly collapsed and fell sound asleep, murmuring incoherently as she drifted into her unconscious plagued with the dreams that preyed on her.**

**Meanwhile, Piccolo was in the kitchen quenching his thirst and pondering over everything and anything, excluding Sofia. But, his mind sooner or later betrayed him and fell to the forbidden subject.**

**_She's progressing fast. My expectations have completely been passed, but…there's still something that doesn't feel right with her._ ** **He grunted after realizing his mind once again wandered. Annoyed with himself, he went over to check on Sofia, but halted.**

**'You've been acting more detached than usual, Piccolo. Is something bothering you?' broke in Nail, wishing to have some sort of conversation after hours of silence between them.**

**'Hmph. Just a vision I had during meditation. And that girl,' Piccolo responded with apathy as he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen.**

**'Oh? You're finally coming to reality and ready to profess your attraction to her, then?' sardonically chimed Nail.**

**'Shut up, Nail!' Piccolo scoffed as he pushed off the frame and started towards Sofia's quarters.**

**'Wow! She really must be on your mind if that is the only haughty remark you could make.' Nail's tone leaked that innuendo that was still way over Piccolo's head.**

**Now stalking over to the room absently, Piccolo lost his patience with his counterpart. 'Listen! If you're gonna say that stupid shit, at least do so without using an insinuative tone that—' He cut himself off as he passed the threshold to Sofia's room.**

**Already in deep slumber, Sofia was resting on her side— still fully clothed— and her deep brown strands covered her face and cascaded over her shoulders.**

**Piccolo froze, unable to help his eyes wander over her delicate form.**

**'She must have been exhausted. Did you have to be so harsh? After all, it was the first type of training she has ever experienced.' Nail's remark did not succeed in what he had expected to be a grumbling defense from his now stoic counterpart.**

**Piccolo went to stand by the side of the bed, looking down at his pupil. He grunted.**

**Tapered fingers combed through her hair, pulling the rogue strands behind her ear and grazing her delicate cheekbone. She slightly stirred in her sleep, but did not wake. Exhaling softly, he pulled the disheveled comforter and threw it over her all the way up to the nape of her neck.**

**He shook his head, trying to pull himself out of the semi daze he fell in. Going over to the purple drape that hung open, Piccolo irritably pulled the curtains closed, filtering out the intense brightness of the chamber's void.**

**_Futagoza hitoshii… Hm…_ **

**He proceeded to stride back toward the dimensional divided, but glanced over at his sleeping roommate.**

**'DON'T SAY A FUCKING WORD! Nothing, Nail,' he snarled before his counterpart even began to attempt a remark, huffed and walked back through the divide to his side.**


	8. Oni Hakaisha

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_** _"Different language"_

**_"Dampness and a foreboding chill. Evening had long settled into the twilight of night. The wooded terrain bristled with the languid breeze of an ambiguous season as the heaven's above shone with the sparks of scattered stars; nothing moved and no sound permeated the air._ **

**_Bright light turned the night into momentary day, the ground shook and convulsed with after tremors. The shrieks of collision and the devastation of forest were present through a great radius._ **

**_Darkness returned and seeped over the area, excluding the bustle of torchlight that grew near the site._ **

**" _High Priestess! It is dangerous for you to follow; please take heed. We will search for signs of explanation and return forth to the village. You need not risk danger."_**

**_The torch-lit party traversed the path lying in between the dark wood, one figure stood out ahead of the others, who clung closely to each other from fear and caution. The slender figure glanced to the dubious young man who flanked her left side, his countenance pleaded for her to concede._ **

**_The high priestess smiled emptily at him. "Kakyo, you are sweet to consider my well being, but it is inconsequential. My task is to take the village's well being, and investigate what caused the earth to tremble and sky to blaze."_ **

**_Her expression was subdued. She seemed almost ghostly with the torch light bestowing a luster to her alabaster complexion and graying hair, which was held back loosely with a black ribbon. Her onmyouji robe clung snugly to her slender form, the pearl necklace that hung over her attire created a fluent noise as it swayed with her stride, as did the red tassels attached to her squared off collar and her fluttering long sleeves. Her movements were composed, as was her tone of speech, her voice never raising haughtily or conveying any real emotion. She carried her middle age well, seeming decades younger; her eyes were slanted, not mirroring her thoughts but not hard as stone, only soft, un-expressing orbs of starless night._ **

**_"But High Priestess, we are nearing the forbidden forest, and it is unknown what could lurk in the shadows seeking an opportune time as to lay harm to you," the young man coaxed, his gentle green eyes flashed like camphor with the rising glare of flames in the distance._ **

**_The small pilgrimage stopped as the scorched and thrashed dark wood came before them; heavy smoke veiled the sky above. The young man called into action the rest of the small company to spread out and search the area for any sign of life or sorcery._ **

**_He kept protection of the high priestess, but found himself bewilderingly following her off as she strayed from the others, apprehensive of the suspicious scene._ **

**_"High Priestess, please, we mustn't stray too far. Let the others and myself take charge—" Kakyo was hushed by a quieting gesture made by the high priestess, who was scrutinizing the trunk of a heavy and tall tree._ **

**_She pressed her fingertips against the trunk and traced the gashes that marred the bark. Feeling the drip of hot liquid run over her fingertips, she found the liquid to be an ink-like substance, thick as tar over her fingers and of a heavy metallic scent._ **

**_Looking into the closest direction the marks led to, she strode deeper into the thick wood, the darkness of it so assaulting that the gigantic trees towered into the sky, blocking out the starlight._ **

**_"High Priestess, wait!" The petition fell on deaf ears. Using the faint flicker of firelight that followed behind her, she tracked the trodden ground, which was stained with the now familiar ink-like substance from the tree._ **

**_The wails of a creature echoed in the close distance, resounding over the shouts of her loyal follower and of the crackle of the nearing fire. The high priestess let herself be guided by the sound and found herself in an open area in middle of the jeering darkness. Soft light filtered through the old branches of the surrounding trees, slightly mystifying the priestess as she gazed up at the patch of night sky visible._ **

**_The wailing sounded again, louder and more distinguishable. The creature was among the area. Then her sight glimpsed a piece of cloth peeking behind a robust tree trunk. She stepped cautiously towards the tree, advancing as to not alarm the creature._ **

**_As she made her path around the trunk, she saw a bundle of cloth, and realized that it was a blanket wrapped around the still wailing…child. She kneeled down and took the writhing bundle in her arms. Something fell from the wrapping. She glanced down by her foot and saw an onyx pendant, with a 'bloodstone' in an onyx band casing. It was indeed a necklace. She returned her attention to the crying bundle she still held. With an uncharacteristic genteel nature, the high priestess uncovered the blanket and tucked it away from the child's face._ **

**_The baby seemed to have been given birth to recently, but was unlike anything the priestess had ever seen in a human child. When the child stopped its fussed weeping, it gazed up at her, its crimson eyes were like unflickering fire. She discovered that the child was female, and that its physiognomy was like any of a normal female child, all except for her eyes._ **

**_She at once noticed that the child was shivering, and covered her up tightly with the blanket, which was the only possession bestowed on her, besides the eerie necklace. She took the necklace and stood, with the child in her arms. While further adjusting the child's wrapping, she noticed stains of blood on the blanket, as well as smears of the mysterious ink-like substance discovered before. The child, still shivering, began to wail once more, snapping the high priestess from her musings._ **

**_"High Priestess! Where are you!?" Brought back to attention of her location, she realized that the flames from whatever struck the forbidden forest were advancing only mere miles from where she stood. She secured the baby to her breast and followed her path from whence she had advanced._ **

**_"I am here, Kakyo," she answered the preceding call and found her way back to her follower, who directed them out of the forest and back to where the rest of the party waited their return._ **

**_Once at a distance from the fire, they realized that other villages were answering the call of the impending blaze and were gathering to extinguish the growing fire, so the discreet party parted back to their village, over towards the other side of the wood in a revered valley, where it was known throughout Japan to be the asylum for the most powerful and respected Onmyoji of Japan, a priestess village._ **

**_At returning to the village, the high priestess gathered her most trustworthy members and held a meeting in her home. She explained the oddity of her finding such a child. Placed on the table, the child still cried while the conversing group of women discussed the probability of the child's origins._ **

**_The child's cries became fitful; at once the few pieces of furniture residing in the home began to tremble, as did the walls and floor as the child's wailing and agitation increased. Many of the women began to pray fearfully and panic. The high priestess went to the table and was astonished at what she saw. On the corner edge of the table she had placed the necklace, and the bloodstone was now pulsing with energy, and it pulsed and flashed with greater excitement as the child's crying became more powerful._ **

**_"The necklace…" she hurriedly took the necklace into her hand and looked down at the wailing child. The roof had begun to shake with the rest of the house. Making a decision of theory, the high priestess placed the pendant over the child's small chest and placed the necklace over and around its neck._ **

**_Instantly, passivity went over the child and the shaking diminished til it ceased. The pulsating bloodstone began to soothe back into a fluent swirl within the stone, until it too ceased. When all was found to return to normality, the group turned their attentions back to the baby, who had fallen into a deep slumber, her small hands gripping the onyx chain of the necklace in her fists._ **

**_"She is a demon…of tremendous power, and filled with hate and fury," the high priestess spoke passively as she watched the child in slumber. Her words stirred a fearful communication between the rest of the women who had witnessed the fearful happenings._ **

**_Calming the women, the high priestess declared that the child would be her responsibility, and to not speak of what occurred to anyone outside the circle._ **

**_"She was sent by the gods, and her purpose is yet to be seen. Her destiny is a great one, which we should begin readying her for." She looked down to the child and took her in her arms, cautious to not part her from the necklace._ **

**_"Isn't that right, Kyouran?"_ **

* * *

 

**_The rays of midday trickled past the branches. Lush green vegetation of the forest was filled by the chirp and the scurry of woodland creatures. A small brook lulled softly, its crystalline surface glimmered brilliantly as the rays mirrored and shone. Laughter echoed just in the distance. A majestic deer dipped its snout towards the cool waters of the brook, lapping at the refreshing liquid._ **

**_The youthful laughter struck the tranquility as it became harsh jeering cackles. The deer was frightened off as a small figure stumbled over the brook and splashed the shimmering surface and continued to flee. The laughter and jeering followed close behind as she ducked between rogue branches and advanced over the mighty roots of ancestral trees. Cuts and faint bruises discolored her sun-kissed skin._ **

**_Her garb tattered and her nimble feet dirty from dust and mud, she ran over an expanse of forest until she reached a wide field. The meadow shone from the luster of the noonday sky, the golden hay swayed from a faint breeze as her fleeing made a path._ **

**_She tripped and fell into the golden grass; her chasers came upon her, huddled to herself and slightly trembling._ **

**" _Decided to stop running, oni!" a dark haired boy taunted, the rest of the pack circled, ready to pounce._**

**_She shut her eyes, and gripped her only possession tighter in her small hands._ **

**_The boy sneered, and grabbed at her, but she struggled away, not looking into her attackers eyes as two others pulled her to her feet and held her from fleeing. Looking to the trodden ground, she held her possession to her._ **

**" _No oni deserves the treatment you get in the village!" he charged angrily and looked down at the necklace she held to herself. "And you especially don't deserve that jewel. Give it to me, I won't tell you again!"_**

**_Eyes of unflickering fire glared up through disheveled strands of long dark hair. The boy stifled his nervousness._ **

**" _I told you to give me that jewel— don't make me try to take it like before, or I'll make you sorry, oni!"_**

**_The broken onyx clasp dangled out of her palms, the pendant framing imprinting itself to her hands from her tight grip. She had saved it from falling from her neck when they tugged harshly at the pendant, breaking the clasp. She could not spare having it parted from her possession._ **

**_She began to wretch herself from their hold and struggled when they pushed her to the ground, trying to part her hands to get to the necklace. She bared her fangs and bit one of the boys on his forearm, causing her to be struck and held down._ **

**_They gripped her small wrists to painful angles and forcefully took the necklace from her. The dark haired boy looked down at her as she rolled onto her knees, her fingers laced in the dirt as her talon-like nails dug into the ground._ **

**" _Give it back!" she snarled out, her voice shaking with suppressed rage._**

**_The pack of boys fell back, nursing their scrapes and bite marks as they looked at her apprehensively. She stood up, her small frame trembling. She set her hostile gaze on the dark haired boy._ **

" ** _Give it back, human!" she spat out venomously. Some of the boys began to cautiously step back, fear showing in their eyes._**

" ** _Stay back, soulless demon!"_**

**_She was knocked back a step. A gash formed just under her left eye from where the rock struck her. Silence clung; only the soft breeze stirred. Her senses flared, as did her crimson aura. Blinding heat consumed, rage took over, fury unleashed outward._ **

**_The golden rays of the sun were blocked out by the devastation. Trees burned, the meadow scorched. The bodies torn…_ **

**_Kyouran stood in the middle of it all, gaze blank, absently gripping the pendant as she held it against her chest._ **

* * *

 

**_The room was dark, her windows lowered shut. Her position from across the door didn't filter out the vehement argument occurring just beyond it. Sitting huddled into the corner, Kyouran could distinguish high priestess and her most loyal follower's voices as she traced the facets of the garnet stone of her pendant with the tips of her fingers, clasp repaired and necklace around her slim neck._ **

**_Her mind reconstructed what had occurred in the meadow, in vivid detail, even the moment that she had been blinded by her own—_ **

**_"This will occur again in the future! We cannot control her, High Priestess; villagers from the entire province fear and resent her mere presence," the follower paused, composing himself to restrain his heated tone. "They were children…"_ **

**_After a lapse, the high priestess sighed. "Those children should have known…" her tone was calm, expressionless. "Kakyo, I know that this past year has been very difficult for you to follow my will—"_ **

**_"Please, High Priestess! I have not meant to dissent. I would serve you and heed your command with my life— I only fear that your life is at risk by harboring such a being, a being rumored to be a demon. Since the village has become her refuge, she has proven beyond a doubt that she is… extraordinary," Kakyo's scrupulous tone intended to alleviate the tenseness, but only resounded in the expanse of the room._ **

**_"I understand your feelings, Kakyo. You worry about the safety of the village, and of your young daughter. I fear that the only solace that I may bestow you, is that under my tutelage, Kyouran will protect this village, and the surrounding villages as well. Unfortunately, many see her as a being to resent and loathe. It complicates matters greatly," the high priestess's tone was apathetic, but even from her eavesdropping from the opposite room, Kyouran knew it wavered with some sort of doubt._ **

**_Kakyo bowed and gained permission to step closer. "High Priestess…may I be privileged to know, how you intend for Kyouran to protect the villages?" his green eyes shimmered in the candlelight and the dying rays of dusk seeping through the partially shut windows highlighted his neck-length coffee brown hair._ **

**_The high priestess looked at the advancing evening dark through the crevices of the wooden shutters, while she replied, "You have noticed that in her first year of life she seemingly grew as if she was a 5 year old child?" when Kakyo nodded in confirmation, she continued, "I intend to teach her within what is left of this yearly cycle the history of the evil that has spread over our country in the past century. With that bested, I will train her to become a priestess warrior."_ **

**_Kakyo's tightened jaw led her to believe that he understood the implications for such course of action. After the foreboding that clung in the air dissipated, Kakyo took up his stone expression._ **

**" _High_   _Priestess Sumeragi…if I understand correctly, you intend to instill the ancient warrior teachings long ago discarded by the Sumeragi Elders, to a demon spawn that has no loyalties to this village, let alone humanity?" Kakyo's cold tone did nothing to ebb the sharpness of his words. "Do you believe that the evil is so threatening to the country that you will train a demon to destroy other demons!?"_**

**_"Yes." His stunned semblance did not show in the evening candlelight. His expressive eyes glimmered with momentary doubt. "All stated is my belief and my intentions, Kakyo. I do not expect you to agree with them, but I expect you to follow my word," Priestess Sumeragi replied in her own rarely cold tone, as she looked into Kakyo's flaring green eyes._ **

**_After registering his position, Kakyo bowed, all tension erased from his features. "I will heed to all your wishes, High Priestess. I know you seek the best for all, and I will commit myself to seeing that my accomplishments best those wishes," the characteristic warm strength returned to his frame and tone. With the balance restored to both, the high priestess gave the respectful nod that signified his freedom to depart, to which he fully bowed and left the home._ **

**_Letting the semblance of silence reign in the room, the high priestess faced the small alter dedicated to her ancestors and family Elders, and kneeled in preparation to pay thanks and homage._ **

**_"I do not believe that I should need to repeat my intentions to you, seeing as you took it upon yourself to listen," the priestess addressed Kyouran— who stood by the open panel of the side room, as she sat kneeled at the alter with her eyes closed in prayer._ **

**_The small girl gave no sign of reverence or attention to what was addressed as she set her crimson spheres to the high priestess's back._ **

**_"But, I do feel that it is necessary to reiterate the importance that you never part or remove that necklace, Kyouran," she paused as she began to light the white candles symbolic and in honor of every Sumeragi clan head in the history of the great onmyouji family. "Your lessons are to begin tomorrow," she finished simply and returned her full attention to her task._ **

**_Semblance stoic, only the pulsing of the garnet pendant revealed the ire attached to her guardian, and to the idea that she was to dedicate her existence to the protection of the feeble human race._ **

* * *

 

**_Late afternoon descended through her path. She had been tracking her quarry the entire day— it was the last of its pack. Even her powerful mare could never possibly equal her speed, so she had taken to traversing through the forest by foot, using her furious pace and momentum to hop from tree to tree via the highest branches whenever her path became more wayward or simply nonexistent. With her perched perspective above ground, the rays of the afternoon gleamed off her polished armor breastplate and removed the perpetual shadow from the black sheath of her specially crafted sword as her hastened hunt made her a blur to even the most trained human eye. She impassively marveled at the creature's ability to shroud its energy shield and decided that she would take the time to tear it piece by piece when she came upon it._ **

**_A flicker spiked suddenly in the back of her mind to the west of her position. She sprinted and leapt high into the air, flipped and had her feet push off the robust trunk of the nearest tree to catapult her 30 feet over to her required direction towards the branch of a mighty pine and continue her precise pace, her dark hair whipping behind and about her from her brisk movements._ **

**_In a matter of moments she had traversed more than half of the distance between herself and her quarry when she sensed the diminutive ki auras of about four humans in the same area as the demon. She clenched her jaw at the impending threat and let the familiar swirl of energy pump into her bloodstream as she cleared the rest of the distance in under a minute._ **

**_The shouts of fear echoed through the sun drenched forest. Kyouran snarled at the sound and leapt the rest of the distance to land in a crouch on a well beaten path cut between the trees. The path was one of many leading to the province barter market from the grand intersection of paths between the scattered and surrounding villages of the fast growing and thriving province._ **

**_She stood slowly from her crouching position to tower menacingly under the rays of the advancing sun, and set her cold crimson gaze at her quarry of the day. Cornering a trembling party of merchants and their man-pulled carriage of contraband was a creature with stone-colored scales on its torso, upper arms, and hind quarters, thorned brow ridges and retractable claws on webbed hands. Disheveled and coarse black hair spiked just above it's shoulder blades and aligned at the hairline was a sharp row of thorn-like spikes. On its wrists were oval shaped slits that she knew from previous experience the purpose served to the creature._ **

" _I've been looking for you, demon," **Kyouran stated in a cold and dark tone, using the ancestral tongue of all demons, rudimentary Japanese— her expression stoic and her spheres of unflickering fire fixed under narrowed eyes as she strode paces closer to the crisis.**_

**_The stated creature froze as it whirled around to face the voice, its slanted eyes widening and the snake-like pupils of its vivid orange orbs dilating as it caught sight of the figure infamous in the demon underworld._ **

" _Oni Hakaisha!" **The demon hissed menacingly, its gray forked tongue flicking past the jagged crevice of sharpened teeth bared in snarl at her. The demon's pupils and eyes narrowed as it seemed to be surveying its options.**_

" _Please, do run. I enjoy the stench of fear you give off when you flee, not to mention how you would make excellent target practice," **she stated acidly as she stepped even closer for the demon's discomfort.**_

**_Hissing in anxiety and too nervous to flee, the demon lashed out and grabbed the nearest hostage at hand, which was the only female of the merchant party, and gripped her by her slender pale throat, extending its retractable claws to dent the skin dangerously. The men cowered and froze in fear as the demon eyed Kyouran with veiled confidence._ **

**_Kyouran's expression was solid and stoic, the only thing betraying her composure was the fluent pulsing of the garnet pendant hung over the clavicle portion of her breastplate._ **

" _Hahah, you have no choice— I will flee for now, and I'm taking this wench with me!" **the demon rasped cunningly as it began to back away with its whimpering hostage.**_

**_However, the creature paused its movements as it heard the demonic cackle coming from the infamous figure standing only meters across from him. The gleam of ivory fangs peeking behind maniacally quirked lips jarred all that witnessed._ **

**_The creature began to tremble after locking gaze with blood red spheres that held nothing but incredible malice. They were searing and cold as ice all at once._ **

**_Kyouran placed her hand on the handle of her sword and pulled it free from its sheath swiftly and calculatingly, and held it to her side. The double-edged blade flashed with a flicker from the sun's rays and the silver intricate pattern— quite similar to that of the patterned framing that held the garnet stone of her pendant— etched into the completely onyx handle gleamed as if recently polished._ **

**_The demon's eyes widened in distress._ ** _"What are you doing?! I will kill her!" **it shouted as it dug its claws deeper into the woman's neck, warranting a pained cry from his captive.**_

" _And…what is that to me." **The demon stumbled back in shock, holding his grip firm to the neck now trickled by blood.** "I do not negotiate with demons for anything, and even if I did, her life is worthless; I wiped out your pack, and your head is the only one missing for my collection,"  **she stated apathetically as she strode towards the demon, sword outstretched with the tip of the blade dragging tentatively on the ground, metal scraping against rock as she bore her gaze into her prey.**_

**_The men gasped at the scrap of the confrontation understood and cowered— the female hostage looked with terrified brown eyes at Kyouran, pleading silently for help._ **

" _You are insane!" **the demon hissed out as its stare glanced to all sides of it for escape. Overtaken by desperation and fear, the creature snarled and flicked its wrist towards Kyouran, shooting out a black spike from the oval slit at least 12 inches long in direction to attempt to impale her while he simultaneously took the woman and tossed her with tremendous force to the side— and began to flee in the opposite direction, where her back collided bone-crushingly with the trunk of a tree, severing her spine and killing her instantly.**_

**_Bringing her sword up to counter, the spike struck the blade just above the handle and sent the sword flying out of her hand to land meters behind her, the blade fixed straight down into the ground._ **

**_She went directly into action before anyone could even gasp._ **

**_The demon managed to get many yards away from her, but soon halted dead in its tracks as Kyouran phased directly into its path._ ** _"Impossi-!" **its mortified cry broke unfinished as Kyouran brought her left hand and slashed at it horizontally across the neck. Silence as the orange orbs dimmed and the snake-like pupils dilated, a perfectly orange horizontal line materializing just below the creature's un-scaled neck.**_

**_Body rigid, the creature's head rolled and hung backward facing the opposite direction as it still hung from tendons and vertebrae, a stream of hot tangy orange blood spurting outwardly from the decapitation and splattering on trees, ground, and alabaster garments, polished breastplate and worn leather boots._ **

**_Scowling almost dejectedly from the ease of the kill, Kyouran wiped hot fluid splattered on her left cheek with the back of her hand as she raised the other palm side up and conjured a small blast of ki to strike the still-standing corpse._ **

**_Dismembered and scorched, the remnants of the carcass laid strewn across a clear radius as the head rolled in the air and collided against a tree, where it landed nestled at the feet of the still cowering survivors of the party._ **

**_Apathetic in her stride and countenance, the demon priestess warrior strode past the scene and stood in front of her sword still anchored into the ground. She faintly wondered as she wiped the gunk under her fingernails on her gi why she even carried the weapon at all, seeing as her dagger like claws did more than suffice on her missions._ **

**_She pulled the blade free and returned the sword to its sheath. Glancing over her shoulder, her crimson eyes narrowed at the still living men. Turning and walking back to where her trophy lay, she picked it up by the coarse scalp. The men backed away and did not repress the tremble of fear and distress in their frames._ **

**_Her orbs of unflickering fire glanced towards the right where the only other casualty had fallen. Blank brown orbs mirrored the glare pouring through the thick foliage above them. The lifeless ragdoll no longer resembled the vision of youth it had even when stricken with fear._ **

**_Sun-kissed semblance unaltered, the intimidating figure once again directed he intense gaze at the men._ **

**" _Here." Removing something previously tucked into her black sash, she tossed a small leather pouch to the nearest man's feet. When he only stared at her blankly after directing conflicting glances at his partners, she answered their stares. "Compensation."_**

**_That stated, she turned on her heel and walked down the path in direction to the grand intersection of villages, her trophy hung in her grip at her side still dripping orange fluid._ **

**_After gathering enough of their wits, the men retrieved the lifeless woman and placed her in the back of the carriage, strewing one of their weather-beaten ponchos over the corpse. One of the men remembered the leather pouch still discarded in the weeds near the carriage and picked it up, opened and poured the contents in to his open hand._ **

**_Under the sunlight, the facets of the amethyst, sapphire and ruby of the half dozen stones glimmered and sparkled brilliantly._ **

**_Mortified and dazed, one of the men staggered back. "That was…was—" he rasped out of a dry mouth and looked wide-eyed at the other two._ **

**_The man holding the rich fortune frowned as he fisted the contents and looked off to the general direction of their 'savior's' departure._ **

**_"Kyouran— the Demon Destroyer…"_ **

* * *

 

**_Sunset was only about an hour away and she knew that if she didn't return before the dimming of the sky her father would worry, not to mention scold her for playing alone so far away from the village. Being allowed to cut her lessons short, she had gone to visit one of her favorite playing grounds, if it could be considered playing 'ground'._ **

**_The wooden bridge that stood suspended over the deep waters of the river was seldom used by any, being that it was so far off from the more preferred course to and from the priestess village._ **

**_Leaning over the side, her deep auburn locks danced in the breeze and the dangling charms around her wrist chimed with her movements as she stared at her fluent reflection and giggled at the distortion. Growing quickly bored, she decided to try one of the simple tricks she had been taught by her priestess tutor._ **

**_She searched in her robe to find what she needed and pulled it out with the tips of her pale fingers. The white slip of paper had no marking except the crease from being folded. She placed the paper flat on the wooden edge and closed her eyes, conjuring her concentration; placed the tip of an index finger on the middle of the slip and slowly traced five intersecting lines, which turned red as she passed over them a second time._ **

**_When she opened her eyes, a small red pentagram had formed on the slip of paper._ **

**_"It worked!" she squeaked happily and set her gleaming green eyes at the shades and tones of orange, gold, and scraps of blue that were swimming in the horizon. "It's gonna get dark soon— better try it now," she mumbled to herself and held the slip of paper at the bottom pinched between her index and thumb._ **

**_Murmuring a simple incantation, the slip glowed white and flashed. She now held a small white crow nestled in her palm, which cawed and spread its wings. Her youthful laugh chimed in the wide space and over the slow running of the river as she held the miniature bird closer to her face._ **

**_Whispering to the small animal, it soon obeyed and flew high above her head and dove close to the water before swiftly slicing the air and pulling upwards with a caw. The magical crow soon fluttered back to its conjurer and landed on her wrist._ **

**_"Yay! I did it," the young girl smiled as the crow flashed white and returned to its original form, a blank slip of paper. She was so euphoric that she couldn't wait to show her father her trick. Just then a chilled breeze flowed over the water and snapped the paper out of her grasp. "Wait! No come back," she cried out as the slip surfed the air currents and fluttered out of her reach towards the edge of the bridge, where it plummeted out of her reaching hand down into the water below._ **

**_Her sadness quickly turned to distress when she realized the fluent chiming that always accompanied her movements was absent. She realized that her mother's charm bracelet was no longer clasped around her small wrist. "Mother's bracelet!" she gasped and looked over the side to the bottom. Her eyes darted frantically in search for any faint glimmer of silver until a shine caught her gaze just under the bridge._ **

**_There, nestled dangerously at the edge of the rock supports of the bridge was her mother's bracelet. Afraid of the sadness it would cause her father to lose the charm, she ran to the ground past the bridge's wooden boards and climbed the slippery rock edge towards the bottom supports of the bridge. Getting on hands and knees as to better insure her from slipping, she found herself dead ended. The bracelet hung off the edge of the support just across from her, but there was no way to get to it, and it was fearfully close to being washed away by the waters._ **

**_She told herself that she could not lose it— the bracelet was the only thing she had to remember her mother. So, she carefully expended her hand to the bracelet, but it was just out of grasp. Leaning closer, her fingers brushed one of the small jasmine charms and managed to pull the bracelet chain closer, and clenched it tightly in her palm. She released her contained breath and slowly backed away from the edge to press her back against the cold stone support._ **

**_Standing and turning to face the wall and make her way back from where she had preceded, her foot slipped and one of the stones collapsed under her other foot, sending her falling back to the water with a cried yelp. She quickly sunk to the bottom and was disabled from swimming to the surface because the stone that had collapse pinned one of her nimble feet in a mess of weeds and mud. She stared up at the surface, the rays of day still present but noticeably dimmed, bracelet tightly gripped in her small fist. Her senses were also dimming, as her mind brought the solace of one thought— that she would see her mother again._ **

**_But then she felt her body lifting, or rather being lifted to the surface. The next thing after her lungs gasped the delicious air and relieved the burning in her chest, she found herself lying on the still warm boards of the middle of the bridge. A momentary blast of heat brushed her soaked skin and clothes as she pulled herself to sit up. She ignored the throb of her ankle as soon as her green spheres caught sight of the tall, slender, and dark-haired figure in newly dried attire as she fastened the sheath of her sword back into place over her right hip and adjusted her armor breastplate._ **

**_Red eyes gazed intensely at her over a shoulder, dark brown bangs fluttering with the soft fading afternoon breeze. "Taking risk for a metal charm— materialistic and foolish," the cold monotone held a soft-spoken timbre, feminine, but still commanding and low toned. She had never heard her speak before that moment, and found it comforting, instead of intimidating._ **

**_The young girl diverted her gaze and looked at the bracelet she still held tightly in her hand, then opened it to admire it. The silver jasmine and cherry blossom charms symbolized her mother's favorite flowers._ **

**_When she looked back up to the figure, she noticed the severed head she had just taken into her grasp, and which now hung by coarse black hair at her side. Not paying any mind to her wide-eyed and mortified expression, the figure walked to the opposite side of the bridge, halted and turned her head to look back at the awestruck little girl._ **

**_"Villagers will come for you before dark, so I suggest you don't wander off. The wolves would think you a feast hobbling forth like a wounded animal." She faced her front and strode over the creaking boards of the bridge._ **

**_"Kyouran…" she paused noticeably, her halt lasting for what to her felt like hours. They addressed her with ebbed sharpness or fear, and never used her given name unless with her full title: Kyouran…Oni Hakaisha. This youthful timbre was different._ **

**_She glanced over her shoulder, a delicate dark eyebrow raised at the girl. Her unflickering fire met with brilliant green. "My name is Mekareh— and thank you for saving me from drowning!" the tone was rushed and hushed as she held her injured ankle, her still drenched auburn hair sticking to her temples and on the back of her neck as she lowered her gaze in reverence._ **

**_Kyouran stared stoically at her for mere moments, then humphed, turned and walked off the bridge and entered the shadowed path tucked under the towering trees._ **

**_Before the sun dipped past the glowing horizon, her father and a group of villagers found her and took her back to her home, where she nursed her sprained ankle comfortably in bed for a week. The silver jasmines and cherry blossoms dangling from her pale wrist attached to their re-clasped bracelet chimed every once in a while in memory of that day._ **

* * *

 

**_The stars and moonlight shone through the skylight roof shutters as hot steam coiled upwards and out into the night. Her bathhouse was in a secluded corner of the village and was the biggest, rivaling even the high priestess's. The gashes on her arms healed under the hot water as she submerged herself into the comforting heat. The familiar weight of her necklace lessened as it floated slightly off her chest and neck in the water._ **

**_She could hear the muffled chirping of the crickets and hushed murmurs of life of the village as she rested her back against the wooden walls of the tub. Resurfacing, she pushed her soaked mane back and out of her face as she rinsed the foulness of her kills off her skin and hair, dejectedly enjoying the soft scents of incense wafting in the air and rose oils assimilated into her bathing water. The soft flickering candlelight cast shadows over her characteristic attire, stained with soot, grime, and death. Her muddy boots lay discarded on the ground— as did her battered armor breastplate and sheathed sword— by the wooden bench that her clothes lay tossed upon._ **

**_She washed the dirt from under her nails and gave her hair a final lather, submerged herself once more, then resurfaced with a sigh. Growing tired of the cooling waters, she adjusted herself so as to sit on the outer wooden edge of the tub, wringing the water out of her hair._ **

**_"What do you want, kid!?" she asked tersely without directing her gaze to the only entrance of the bathhouse, which stood behind her._ **

**_Mekareh yelped in surprise at being discovered and stumbled behind the corner she was hiding tucked by the wooden door. She was in her apprentice onmyouji gi, her usually flowing auburn hair was neatly braided and tied with a silk red ribbon; she even wore a pair of white gloves, and she had tucked her charm bracelet to slip under her gloved wrist preventing the characteristic chiming. Standing off to the side just next to the tub, she gave Kyouran's back a wide-eyed expression as the warrior apathetically combed her long fingers through her long wet hair._ **

**_"How did you know it was me!?" the small girl piped in her awestruck tone as she fidgeted with her robe collar._ **

**_"Because there's no other human or being alive that would be foolish enough to disturb me while in the nude and bathing," Kyouran glanced back at her over her shoulder and gave her a rare smirk that showed off a fang, the combination of the candlelight and the radiance of the night's light giving her sun-kissed skin a delicate glow._ **

**_"Hahah— true!" the bright-eyed girl smiled. "I just came to show you!" she paused as she turned to show her back and tugged on her sleeves to reveal the engraved red intersecting lines of a pentagram placed just under the nape of her neck and past the collar on the alabaster robe. "Today I passed my first test in becoming an onmyouji apprentice. Father told me he was proud and that my mother would be smiling down on me from heaven— he was so happy!"_ **

**_The small girl was brimming with excitement as she told her of the ceremony and how even the high priestess congratulated her and complimented her father on having such a promising daughter._ **

**_"So, you will be studying under Sumeragi soon. It would be nice to get that old bat off my back," Kyouran stated with cynical amusement as she stood in the tub and trudged to the opposite side to retrieve her silk robe. She put it on and tied the belt as she sat on the edge and rested her back on the wooden wall of the bathhouse, the light playing off the onyx chain and frame of her necklace and casting twinkles from the facets of her garnet stone._ **

**_Mekareh gave her a child-like pout. "The high priestess is a nice woman, but you don't like her at all, huh?"_ **

**_"I like the old woman about as much as I'd like getting a rusty spike impaled through my skull…so I guess that is a no," she replied dryly and smoothened her long bangs to their original style._ **

**_"Oh," the girl said and diverted her gaze, noticing the discarded attire on the bench. "You returned later than usual from your hunts. Were there a lot of monsters?"_ **

**_"Twenty four. They wouldn't stay dead, and decapitating all of them took longer than usual. Then I had to dispose of the corpses," Kyouran replied dejectedly as she glanced out the wooden shutters of the skylight._ **

**_The young girl felt a little squeamish and decided to change the subject. "Would you like me to take your things to be washed? I could get my father to sharpen the blade of your sword," she offered and absently watched a trail of incense wafting languidly in the air._ **

**_"Hm, no human could lift my sword, let alone sharpen the blade; I will take care of my clothes, they're the only pair I have."_ **

**_"Oh."_ **

**_A period of silence washed over in the space. Then, Kyouran stood and stepped out of the bathtub, the wooden floor boards surprisingly warm under her black-toed feet. "Go home, kid. Don't need to give your ever loyal father "Kakyo the True" a reason to glare at me more than usual," she remarked sardonically as she set her crimson eyes on Mekareh's brilliant green._ **

**_"Hahaha, you're funny, Kyouran. Maybe if you told more funny jokes like that you'd have more friends, not just me," Mekareh smiled genuinely. She was very wholehearted for an eight year old, and quite bold, something that few to no humans got away with, especially when addressing the demon priestess warrior._ **

**_Kyouran crossed her arms and let her imposing height tower over the somewhat naïve girl. "Maybe I should have left you at the bottom of that river…or maybe I should return you there, kid," she stated in her dark tone and glowered down at the auburn-haired girl._ **

**_A sweatdrop plastered itself to the side of Mekareh's head as she nervously laughed up at the looming figure with demonic red eyes in front of her. She quickly turned on her heel and bolted out the door goofily saying, "Goodnightdon'tletthebedbugsbite!"_ **

**_Kyouran watched her sprint out and sensed her heading to her small wooden house at the other end of the village. Sending a surge of aura outward, her damp hair instantly dried and her robe clung warmly to her skin. She then looked back and sneered disdainfully at her battered armor._ **

**_"I loathe going to the market…but it is now unavoidable," she paused and once again admired the full moon shining through the skylight as she traced the pads of her fingers over the facets of her stone pendant. She thought of what Mekareh had said about her getting more friends. The idea had never even dawned on her that the young bright-eyed girl considered her that._ **

**_"Friend…humph."_ **

* * *

 

**_The late morning rays carried over the province with a warm grace of a mid-spring day. The semi-paved path had only two occupants at the moment, quite rare considering the hour and the routine of the merchants heading towards the market square. The breeze was cool, but still comforting. Cherry blossoms surfed the gentle air currents like pale-pink snowflakes, and the chirping overhead subdued any need to create idle conversation, not that it could be prevented for long._ **

**_"The sakura are so pretty this year!" the bright-eyed girl stated happily as she walked side-by-side with the stoic and looming demon priestess warrior._ **

**_Kyouran held her gaze straight ahead at the upcoming fortified gates of the grand market square— the great barter and merchant district of the entire province— the sheath of her sword in its usual place at her right hip, but her battered armor breastplate was tucked under an arm, pinned to her side._ **

**_Her semblance, usually unmarked by emotion, betrayed a scowl of annoyance, enough of an indication that Mekareh should keep quiet until they crossed into the market square past the impending gates._ **

**_The young girl idly looked around herself to occupy her fickle attention with anything as she shifted the heavy leather pouch she carried in her arms. She carefully glanced out the corner of her eye at her companion, seeing that the scowl still persisted on her features._ **

**_Not being able to suppress her curiosity, she burst into conversation. "Hey Kyouran, why do you have an angry expression? Don't you think the sakura are pretty? Don't you like to see the blossoms floating in the air and landing in the puddles? Father says that the sakura always remind him of mother, and that when they bloom, it's her saying hello from heaven," the green-eyed girl stated emphatically as she gazed up at her only friend._ **

**_Kyouran glanced sharply at her, the sun's rays flickering over the facets of her pendant and giving the onyx of her necklace a sheer polish. Mekareh cut off her next verbal spout. She directed her gaze to her striding sandaled feet with a sigh of sadness. Glancing at her sideways, the 5-year-old demon woman relented into conversation._ **

**_"The blossoms, I like. Traveling to this market is what I detest." They had just arrived before the gates, which were quickly pulled open as the entrance keepers instantly recognized the infamous figure._ **

**_As they both passed through, Mekareh noticed the nervous mannerisms of those who witnessed their arrival, and realized that the hushed tones and obvious glances were directed solely to Kyouran._ **

**_"Is it because people look at you funny that you don't like coming to the market place?" was the young girl's inquiry as she noticed that the crowds of the main street were unanimously parting and giving way to both of them, not without directing wary glances at the stoned-face Demon Destroyer._ **

**_"That does not bother me. Being around such throngs of humans is almost suffocating." Kyouran stated apathetically as she directed her stride towards the metal division of the market, where she intended to get her armor repaired and the blade of her sword sharpened at the blacksmith's shop._ **

**_The heavy traffic of the crowds picked up as they passed, as did the hushed chatter, whether jeeringly or wearily pertained only of the cold figure of the Oni Hakaisha. She never directed her crimson gaze to her sides or behind her, solely focused before her._ **

**_"Mekareh. Go run your errands and meet me back at the blacksmith's shop. Don't take your time to wander. It would be most unpleasant for such a young human to be staggering alone through woods infested with demons, just because she was left behind for her tardiness." Kyouran stated in her dark tone and directed her full gaze upon the auburn-haired girl, who only smiled._ **

**" _You don't have to worry," she held up the leather pouch. "My only errand is to pay the blacksmith for the metal he gave to my father last month," she stated in her characteristic, warm timbre and added, "and I know you're not mean enough to leave me to get eaten by monsters. If you were that mean you would have let me drown."_**

**_Kyouran couldn't suppress her snicker as she adjusted the armor she held under her arm. "True, but you never know when I'll need a moving target for practice, huh kid," she remarked cynically and quirked her slender lips into a slight grin as she caught her pint-sized companion's pale, wide-eyed expression._ **

**_After traversing several streets and blocks of the grand market square, they both arrived at the metal division, where the bustle of the crowd was limited to robust and gruff looking metal workers who haggled over prices for tools and certain ores. The sector was also doted with the number of most taverns, which were at the moment filled with laughter, conversation, and the occasional scuffle._ **

**_This also was the sector that most amused and vexed Kyouran. Amuse because of the show of bravado that the men would put on at seeing her pass through, when in actuality, she could smell the fear saturating their perspiration instead of testosterone— and vex because there would always be some drunken fool or other who would dare challenge her as if she was a lowly pretentious female. Needless to say, whatever male who did so and got away with only a broken arm was considered lucky to have retained said limb._ **

**_Kyouran's pace picked up as she headed towards the alleyway shortcut to the blacksmith's shop, inadvertently spooking a gossiping group of women who converged semi-obstructing her path. Her stride and cold expression never faltering, she cut her path between the hastily parting women, who poorly contained their scoffs and sneers from her sharp hearing._ **

**_Lagging behind, Mekareh began to jog after her companion as she balanced the heavy pouch in her arms in care of not dropping it. She too almost ran into the group of surly women, but wasn't even perceived as they began their torrent of jeers._ **

**_"Why that monster is let loose on the province I can never understand," a woman holding her grocery basket ground out._ **

**_"I'd take my chances any day over having to be shepherded like cattle by that demon," remarked frigidly the next woman._ **

**_Mekareh passed the group quietly, but still listened in. As she turned the corner she faintly made out the last remark of the heavy-set woman of the small group._ **

**_"And how she let that poor woman die— her brother is devastated…"_ **

**_The remarks sunk in slowly. She adjusted the pouch and set her nimble feet to her fastest pace as she slipped between the crowds mingled all around the street. She expected to arrive just as Kyouran would be exiting the blacksmith's, but got surprised when she saw the familiar cascading mane of dark brown that was Kyouran's hair from behind as she stood in front of a humble bakery shop._ **

**_She dodged a merchant cart and made her way over to the tall figure. After making it to her side, she stared up at Kyouran, and then looked past the makeshift divider into the shop._ **

**_"Whatcha looking at, Kyouran?" brilliant green gazed back up at her once savior in curiosity._ **

**_Without taking her gaze off of the golden brown contents baking in the open oven, Kyouran answered with her own question. "What are those?"_ **

**_"Huh?" Mekareh directed her bright gaze in the specified direction. "Oh, those are sweet dumplings! They're really good. The baker takes fruits like apples and wraps them in dough, then bakes them," she replied warmly as she smiled up at Kyouran._ **

**_"Hm. And how do they taste?" Kyouran asked in her soft tone as she looked down at Mekareh._ **

**_"Sweet!" was the sole chirped word in reply from the auburn-haired girl._ **

**_"What is 'sweet'?" inquired Kyouran and cocked her head, her crimson eyes betraying curiosity._ **

**_"You don't know what sweet is!?" balked the girl in awe. "Haven't you ever had candy, or chocolate or anything sweet?"_ **

**_Kyouran furrowed her delicate eyebrows. "No."_ **

**_Jaw dropped in surprise, Mekareh faced the divider and called into the shop. "Obaasan! Can I have some dumplings?" she beamed into the shop in an almost urgent tone._ **

**_"Is that Mekareh I hear already looking for sweets?" a kindly elderly voice sound in reply as a woman scuffed into the main room of the shop. Rummaging into her apron pocket, she pulled out a set of time-worn glasses and wiped them with the corner of her apron._ **

**_After adjusting them on the bridge of her nose, the woman began to smile, but instead gasped wide-eyed at the tall, red-eyed figure that stared back at her apathetically._ **

**_"Good morning, obaasan!" waved the small girl and smiled. "I was wondering if I could buy some dumplings. My friend has never eaten anything sweet and she wants to try some," Mekareh chirped enthusiastically as she leaned over the divider to put down the heavy pouch._ **

**_The woman managed to hide the shock on her face, but her trembling hands were all the indication needed to provide her current state. "Of course you can, and you're in luck—" she went over to the oven and got her heat-worn mittens, "these are the day's first batch," smiled the elderly woman as she placed the hot pan down and put the dumplings in a woven basket._ **

**_The sweet scent of baked dough and apples flooded the air, a pleasing sensation that was immediately noted by the demon priestess._ **

**_"Great! Can I have four? I want to save some to take back to father," indicated Mekareh warmly and the woman wrapped the requested amount as quickly as her shaking hands allowed._ **

**_"Here you are, dear." She was about to hand the wrapped pastries to a struggling Mekareh who searched for her small money bag tucked into her robes, when a sun-kissed, black-taloned hand was thrust in front of her in petition for the purchase._ **

**_Her nervousness showing after gazing at the cold crimson gaze of the woman, she handed the purchase quickly._ **

**_Kyouran expertly levitated the purchase as she dug into a discreet pouch cinched to her sash with her only free hand and poured a handful of coins on the counter of the divider. Then with a final glance, she took the purchase back into her free hand and turned on her heel to walk off._ **

**_The short pause was broken by Mekareh. "Hehe, guess I can save my money for the next time," she picked up the heavy leather pouch and started walking away after adding happily. "Bye obaasan, sorry that Kyouran didn't say hi or bye."_ **

**_She quickly caught up with her companion, since she had noticeably slowed her pace. "These better be worth it, kid," grumbled Kyouran as she sneered at the pacing spectators that were too close for her convenience._ **

**_Mekareh smiled sheepishly and kept quiet as they finally arrived at the blacksmith's shop._ **

**_To her annoyance, there was no one at the front to attend her when she walked in, so she decided to take such time to lean against the wall after momentarily discarding her breastplate to the floor next to her. Mekareh stood in front of her, still fidgeting with the pouch. She rolled her eyes and took the pouch from her and put it to lean against the wall and breastplate._ **

**_"Now," she undid the knot and unwrapped the still warm sweet dumplings. "Let's see what the big deal is," she picked one of the pastries up and studied the golden-brown casing before sniffing it._ **

**_"Hehehehe! You remind me of a puppy when you do that," giggled Mekareh. After receiving I sharp glare, she instantly fell silent._ **

**_She took a bite and chewed slowly, her eyes squinting at the foreign taste that soared to her taste buds. After swallowing, she looked at the expectant look for her opinion she got from the green-eyed girl. "Hm."_ **

**_"Well? Do you like it?"_ **

**_Kyouran looked at the still remaining bite derisively, but popped it into her mouth after a shrug. She answered the inquiry with a quirt nod._ **

**_"Yay! I knew you'd like it," beamed Mekareh and smiled warmly. Kyouran grunted and handed her the purchase, which she had wrapped back up._ **

**_A side door was slid open and a considerably tall and stout young man with blazing blue eyes and messy black locks of hair entered, smiling broadly at having customers already. He walked over to the divider and got a closer look at the two customers he had, and his smile broadened._ **

**_"Well, hello there. What can I do for two lovely ladies this progressively fine morning?" the handsome new apprentice flashed a charismatic smile as he pushed his rogue bangs out of his face and leaned against the divider._ **

**_Kyouran raised a delicate eyebrow ,then looked down at Mekareh. She only received a childish giggle as answer to her inquiring glance._ **

**_Crossing her arms business-like, the infamous warrior gave the young man a once over. "Where's Korokawua?" she asked in her stoic tone as she pushed off the wall and looked at the shorter man._ **

**_"Oh, master Korokawua is taking his morning tea at the nearby game house, but I am sure I can be of service to you, miss…?" the dripping charm of his tone instantly irritated and confused Kyouran, who finally realized that the man didn't know of her._ **

**_Before she could answer, Mekareh interjected. "Her name is Kyouran and she came to get her breastplate repaired and sword sharpened!" She looked at Kyouran with a playful and knowing spark in her eye._ **

**_"Oh?" the young man took Kyouran's hand as he swiftly bowed in courting reverence. "Well I am Haku, and I find it surprising that such a radiant young lady could need such services as those," he finalized the gesture and remark by subtly kissing the back of her hand._ **

**_Mekareh giggled uncontrollably at Kyouran's aghast expression and at the tint of realization that stained her cheekbones. Snatching her hand back, she glowered down at the young man and was about to hoist him up by his labor-stained gi when the street door opened and a tall, robust middle-aged man with short, pepper-colored hair entered._ **

**_"Haku, I don't hear any work going on in here! You better not be oogling the market girls from the window again or—" the commanding/mock tone of the man faltered as he locked gaze with menacing red ones._ **

**_Stumbling to shut the door behind him, Korokawua began to sweat at the realization that of all the suicidal things he could do; he forgot the appointment that now glared sharply at him for his absence._ **

**_"Ky-Kyouran-san! I did not expect you so early in the day," Korokawua nervously spun out as he stood in front of the looming figure and bowed many times. "Please forgive my blunder! I hope that my new apprentice did not trouble or anger you, and if he did I will immediately reprimand—"_ **

**_"That's enough of your foolishness, old man. I do not intend to hear you babble," spat out Kyouran, cutting the man's rant off. She grabbed the handle of her sword and swiftly freed it from the sheath, causing Korokawua to gulp and flinch back. "I intend to get this dull blade sharpened and to leave my armor to be repaired."_ **

**_She turned away from the increasingly sweating man and faced the divider, and began to open the shutter door to step into the work shop when the apprentice flanked her._ **

**_"Please miss, you needn't trouble yourself, that is what I am here for," he bowed and tried not to let his gaze wander to her hidden bust. "I would be honored to tend to your blade myself," he debonairly stated as he ran his fingers through his wayward bangs and pushed them back from his deep-blue eyes._ **

**_Kyouran grunted and looked back at the stuttering Korokawua who balked at his pupil's boldness. "I see your new apprentice beckons for a death wish, old man," she remarked snidely and turned towards the silent pint-sized spectator who looked on in awe. "Mekareh, wait out side. Even I'm not cruel enough as to let you witness any dismemberment," she stated wickedly._ **

**_"Please Kyouran-san! Forgive his stupidity, it's just he was dropped on his head as a child and does not know—" he cut himself off when she turned to glare at him._ **

**_Throughout the heated display, Mekareh made her way to the divider and pulled the young man's attention. "Psst, mister! Do you think Kyouran is pretty? Because if you do, you should try to be nice, not perverted if you want her not to get angry," she instructed in a hushed tone and made Haku grin, while in the background Korokawua bowed and ranted that he would render his services without charge as Kyouran rolled her eyes and told him to bite his tongue already._ **

**_"Just shut up before you piss me off any more than I already am!" she shouted and faced the young man. "You! If you can lift and hold up this sword, and manage to sharpen the blade yourself, I just might spare your insolence and not shatter your jaw," she stated gruffly and smirked as she held the handle away from her so that he could grip it._ **

**_Instead of seeing the flash of fear she expected in those blue pools, they blazed brighter with the prospect of completing the challenge, seeing as Haku enjoyed a woman who played hard-to-get, and he had heard his share of female threats in his 19 some-odd years of life, so hers were nothing new. He smiled ruggedly and gripped the handle with his right hand. As soon as Kyouran let go, he went crashing to the dirt floor from the sword's anchor-like weight._ **

**_"AIYAH! Haku, you blockhead! There is no way you can lift that sword— it weighs 115 pounds!" shouted Korokawua in a disgruntled tone as he rushed to loom over the struggling young man._ **

**_Kyouran scoffed in amusement and leaned against the counter with her arms crossed. "Pitiful. Such arrogance and you crumble like paper," she mused, but grunted when the resilient young man struggled up to stand, a warm grin plastered on his features as he managed to grip the handle with both hands and set the long blade to stand perpendicular to the ground. The front of his gi was smudged with his sweat and dirt and his arms were tense, tendons and muscle rippling from the task._ **

**_"Well—" he panted, "this is—an impressive weapon!" he paused to catch his breath, sweat breaking out over his brow and matting his wayward bangs to his sleek temples and forehead. "I've never seen—" he panted, "a double-edged blade—fixed to a katana handle," he squared his stance and pulled with all his upper body strength to bring the blade vertical with his posture, but the weight threatened to topple him backward, so he backed up until his back collided to rest with a support beam._ **

**_His tanned features began to flush from the exertion, but he still managed to flash a charismatic grin to a wide-eyed Kyouran._ **

**_"Wow! You're really strong, mister! No one has ever been able to lift Kyouran's sword except her, right Kyouran?" keenly stated Mekareh as she clapped her hands and glanced at Kyouran._ **

**_Korokawua wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed with relief that his young and naïve apprentice managed to hold up to the bet, so far— he still had to somehow sharpen the blade._ **

**_Pushing off the counter, the dark-haired and crimson-eyed beauty walked over to where Haku tried to keep up the feat and stood to loom down at him._ **

**_"Don't worry, miss. Just getting my bearings— I'll have your blade sharp in a couple of minutes—" strained out Haku in as confident a tone he could muster, his shoulders and forearms trembling._ **

**_Her expression unreadable, Kyouran lifted his white-knuckled, griping fists and held them in her slender hand, the blade pointing straight up to the ceiling. "Impressive. None of your tendons have snapped apart," she remarked in her cool tone and took the sword from his faltering grip, his arms instantly falling to his sides and his back slumping in relief against the beam._ **

**_She turned away from him and went to the rolling rock used to sharpen the blades of swords and knives. She pressed the pedal that begun the mechanism of spinning the circular/donut-shaped rock and aligned the side of her blade to scrape against the rock, igniting sparks to scintillate and flutter in the air and die away before they even reached the ground._ **

**_Haku smiled at the unusual compliment as he rubbed a tense shoulder and tried to get rid of the strain in his wrists._ **

**_Korokawua came up beside him and slapped him upside the head. "You blockhead! You're lucky she spared you. Probably pitied such an ignorant and naïve fool!" he snapped in a low hushed tone._ **

**_"Ow sensei! Why would such a gorgeous girl pity me?" grumbled in a juvenile tone Haku as he rubbed the side of his head._ **

**_Korokaua slapped his palm on his forehead and dragged it down his face, trying not to fly off the handle on his somewhat dense pupil. Just as he was about to scold him about paying more attention to the sayings around the province instead of visually molesting the young village girls that bathed in the nearby hot springs, he was cut off by an enthusiastic Mekareh._ **

**_"Mr. Korokawua? I brought my father's payment for the metal you gave him last month," eagerly stated Mekareh as she held up the leather pouch she had been lugging the whole morning._ **

**_"Oh yes, yes! With all this excitement I hardly noticed you, Mekareh," affably replied Korokawua as he patted her on her head and took the pouch. "And how is " Kakyo the True" holding up these days?"_ **

**_Kyouran rolled her eyes from her position and flipped the blade to the other side to be sharpened, the scraping sound carrying loudly in the small shop._ **

**_"He's fine— he said he was sorry he couldn't come in person, but that he had official business to attend to in a village far from the province. He comes back this afternoon."_ **

**_"Ah, that Kakyo. So dedicated. He never takes a break," mused Korokawua as he opened the pouch and took the payment, leaving a dozen coins in it as he handed it back to Mekareh._ **

**" _Mr. Korokawua, you left some money in the pouch," Mekareh pointed out after seeing that the pouch was still full._**

**" _Hahah, such an honest girl," he chuckled heavily as he patted her head once more. "That father of yours always overpays, and anyway, he's a loyal friend, so take that and buy whatever you want with it, ok?"_**

**_Mekareh's green eyes brightened instantly. "Wow, thank you!" She chimed happily as she took the still wrapped pastries and placed them in the pouch along with the coins._ **

**_"Don't mention it," his pleasant mirth dissipated as he caught sight of Haku trying to lift the armor breastplate from the floor by the wall. "Boy! If you had such a hard time with that sword, how do you think you'll do trying to lift a 200 pound breastplate!" scolded Korokawua as he frowned at his apprentice._ **

**" _Why are her sword and armor so heavy?" inquired Haku, blazing blue eyes wide with incredulity._**

**_The scraping and the grumbling spinning of the rock and it's mechanism slowly churned to a stop as Kyouran turned around with her newly sharpened sword, the rays of approaching midday playing off the blade in warm strips and gleams as they seeped through the cracks of the roof and the window shutters._ **

**_"Because they help me train my body to be faster and more precise," she answered apathetically as she sheathed her sword._ **

**_"Exactly. It takes four of us just to repair that armor— two to hold it up while the other two adjust and repair it," added Korokawua as he made way for Kyouran to walk past him and go to the armor. "Needless to say this week is gonna be a long one."_ **

**_"Unfortunately, you only have 48 hours to repair it and have it ready for me, so it's inconsequential how the rest of your week will be," stated Kyouran as she picked the breastplate up effortlessly and handed it to Haku who held it to his chest and wobbled to keep his balance._ **

**_"Four-forty eight—" stuttered Korokawua._ **

**_"Yes. I need it in the next 48 hours. I'm taking a pilgrimage out of the country," she replied and pressed her hand on Haku's shoulder just in time to prevent him from falling over, and balanced his posture by shoving him a little to the left._ **

**_"Where are you going, Kyouran?" asked Mekareh in her worried tone as she walked over and gazed up at her._ **

**_"North," was the only response offered._ **

**_"But 48 hours is impossible! And then on such short notice—" he gulped as he caught himself. "I-I mean, well—"_ **

**_Kyouran silenced him with a searing glance, then stalked over to the door. "Do as you please, then. The next time your home is attacked by Shioy demons just might be too short of notice for me to act," she remarked coldly as she looked back at him._ **

**_"Oh no, it's my mistake— we'll have it repaired in 2 days exactly, Kyouran-san!" offered immediately Korokawua as he nervously gulped._ **

**_"Good. You'll receive your payment then," Kyouran stated and looked to Mekareh. "Lets go, kid."_ **

**_"Bye, Mr. Korokawua!" Mekareh chimed and hugged the man, who patted her head. "Bye, Mr. Haku," she leaned up and tugged on his gi for him to lean down closer. Awkwardly adjusting the heavy breastplate as to leant a little closer, Haku offered his ear. "I think she likes you. She didn't call you a weak human or a stupid mammal. You might have a chance to ask her out sometime when she's in a better mood," whispered Mekareh factually in Haku's ear, earning a warm chuckle and smile from the young man._ **

**_"Heheh, thanks for the advice, kid," was his friendly reply as he stood up and adjusted the weight of the armor in his arms._ **

**_"Mekareh! Let's go, or find your own way back."_ **

**_"Eeek, coming!" Mekareh waved goodbye from the open door and stepped out carrying the pouch._ **

**_"Korokawua, for future reference, I suggest you explain to your apprentice how close he came to losing his jaw, and catalog the event with any future weakling you hire," remarked Kyouran haughtily to the blacksmith, then stepped out._ **

**_Korokawua thanked every god he could mentally remember and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his labor-dingy sleeve, while Haku stood and watched the odd pair of friends walk from the shop's vicinity._ **

**_"Such a hot girl— ACK!" Haku mused out loud and went to lean back against the wall, and instead fell back and hit his head against the lower wooden frame of a support, thanks to the daunting weight of the armor he still held._ **

**_Korokawua slapped his palm on his forehead and slid it down his face as he shook his head in pity. "Baka!"_ **

* * *

 

**_They had left the general vicinity of the shop when Mekareh looked over at a stone-faced Kyouran._ **

**_"Wasn't Haku a nice guy?" Mekareh's tone was coy for an 8 year old._ **

**_Glancing at her sideways, Kyouran frowned. "He was weird. Maybe the old man was right and that guy was dropped on his head as a child," offered Kyouran in a flat tone._ **

**_Mekareh giggled at her friend's logic and countered. "He wasn't weird— he just liked you and thought you were pretty!"_ **

**_A sweatdropped appeared on the demon priestess's head as she halted in her stride. "Nani?" Kyouran looked at the young girl with masked shock._ **

**" _Hahah, that's why he was trying his hardest to prove he could rise to your challenge, because he wanted to impress you— and he did," remarked keenly Mekareh._**

**" _That stupid human did not impress me!" she ground out as she started to walk._**

**" _But you said "impressive" when he lifted the sword. C'mon, say that you at least thought he was cute— he had nice big blue eyes," Mekareh chirped eagerly as she skipped by her side._**

**" _I don't think anything is…cute. True, I did say that it was impressive, but out of sarcasm," she offered dismissively._**

**" _Aw, c'mon Kyouran. Haven't you ever liked a boy?" Mekareh asked suspiciously._**

**_Kyouran paused in pace. Startled by her halt, Mekareh ran back to Kyouran with concern on her pale features. Looking off to the North, Kyouran's countenance was settled into her iron semblance, but her crimson eyes were softer, as if something sad had just nudged her recollection._ **

**_Mekareh had never seen that expression in her eyes and she got confused. "I'm sorry if I made you sad, Kyouran," she offered soberly and looked in the direction her friend faced. "Is there someone you're going to visit when you leave?"_ **

**_The question roused Kyouran from her memories, and she looked to the somber look in Mekareh's usually brilliant eyes. "No. I need to go because it is required of me, nothing more," she replied stoically and resumed her pace, and so did Mekareh._ **

**" _How long will you be gone?"_**

**_Once again she stopped, and turned to face the owner of the sad voice. "A week." The small girl nodded in understanding, but still retained her sad expression. "I do plan on returning, kid. Who else would keep those demons from slaughtering you weak humans," when Mekareh looked up at her, she saw the rare smile that she could not help but smile back too._ **

**_They walked side-by-side into the alleyway, Mekareh musing out loud what she should get with the coins left over in her pouch, while Kyouran noticed the heavy tension that clung around her. After passing the corner from the alleyway, she could see that the crowds also sensed the tension, or else expected it. The glances and looks were definitely expecting some course of action._ **

**_The hushed murmurs of conversation had the inflection of worry, but of need for what was to occur._ **

**_As they passed a crafts shop, she noticed the source. Across from the shop was a grungy tavern filled with a group of men who conversed in heated slurs, but one in particular seemed familiar, at least she noticed that these brown orbs weren't blank, but filled with conflict and devastation._ **

**_Almost at once the men hushed and the general spectators of the group's conversation whispered to one another after seeing her._ **

**" _She let his sister die…"_**

**" _He had been sick that day, so she went to the market in his place. So awful…"_**

**" _Poor man held her broken body and cried. They had to pull him away from her just to give her a quick burial…"_**

**" _Ichiro, just let it pass. Don't do something that will lead you to end up like Ayah…"_**

**_The man pulled his arm away from the grip and stepped forward. He was clearly intoxicated, and had been for weeks since the burial._ **

**_Kyouran's apathetic gaze did nothing to mask the coldness of her crimson eyes. Feeling wary from the harsh coldness, Mekareh held the pouch closer to herself._ **

**" _What's wrong with everyone?" she whispered to herself. When Kyouran began to walk away without a second glance, Mekareh followed her at her side._**

**" _Have you nothing to say, you demon?"_**

**_Mekareh flinched from the harshness that even the slur created by his drunkenness could not repress. Kyouran paused in her pace and looked back at the man, who was pushing away those who tried to stop him._ **

**_"She was my only family! We're nothing to you— just dispensable animals," he paused as he stumbled forward. "You're soulless! Life doesn't mean anything to you if it's not your own!"_ **

**_Unflickering orbs of fire held no expression, neither did her stoic, sun-kissed mask._ **

**_All was somberly hushed, everyone who witnessed were frozen in their place, too afraid to move in risk of provoking the inevitable. The man dug into the pockets of his tattered farmer's vest._ **

**" _You're worse than any of the demons that tear our villages apart!" was his strained shout as he pulled something free from his pocket and threw it to Kyouran's black leather boots. "They don't have the cruelty of tossing jewels to one's feet after they kill a person!"_**

**_Mekareh trembled as she stared at the discarded pouch that lay by Kyouran's feet. She didn't understand, she just felt the man's hate saturate everyone around her, but no one did anything to stop it._ **

**_Kyouran did not acknowledge the pouch, but did set her intensely stoic eyes of crimson on the man throughout his rage-filled tirade._ **

**_The rage was radiating from the man's every move, every breath. "Have you nothing to say to me— to us!? What have you to say to my murdered sister?" he shouted in a strained roar, his brown eyes filling with angry tears._ **

**_The demon priestess warrior's eyes grew cold, as did the intensity of her gaze. She turned away from the man and started to walk away, not acknowledging the sharp intake of incredulity that all there suffered from her apathetic audacity._ **

**_Mekareh mechanically followed her from behind, still clutching the pouch to herself._ **

**_The man raged. "Can you not have the decency to face me? Oni Kyouran!"_ **

**_The fist-sized rock halted in midair only inches from the left side of her face. The fearful hush choked over the crowd as Kyouran turned her gaze of unflickering fire back to the man, who clenched his jaw with conflicting emotions. She turned her frame to face his direction, her gaze boring into him as she calmly snatched the rock from where it floated and began to stalk over to the man._ **

**_The fear overpowering his rage, he backed up and stumbled over his feet, almost tripping, but instead bumped into a person who quickly separated from him. So did everyone until he was left alone to run back first into a support beam of the outer foundation of the tavern._ **

**_The midday sun bounced off the silver and onyx of the handle on her sheathed sword and gave her garnet stone an eerie twinkle as she stood in front of the drunken and trembling man. She leaned over to be at eye level with him, causing her pendant to swing and hang. She still gripped the rock in her hand._ **

**_"Your sister was better off dying, human," she hissed out acidly. The man bumped his head on the wooden support from the flinch that coursed through him._ **

**_"Hackhri demon. They need host bodies in order to reproduce. They plant a parasite in the host's body that lays eggs, and they keep the host alive until the offspring hatch and tear through the host's chest. Your sister was a choice candidate for them to use as a host."_ **

**_Silence._ **

**_"Even if I did value human life, I still would have not let it take your sister so it could reproduce after I wiped out the rest of its pack, at least I wouldn't let it take her alive," her tone turned the blood in their veins cold, her apathetic expression betrayed no regret._ **

**_She stood to her imposing height and gazed around to the faces of all that witnessed. "I do not negotiate with demons for anything, so if you are taken as collateral then you know now to pray for death, because what they'll do to you is far worse."_ **

**_She paused and looked at the rock she still gripped in her hand. Facing the man again, she held the rock in front of her. "Just like a human to throw a rock at one's back," the venom leaked from her tone. She lightly squeezed the rock in her vice-like grip and turned it into hundreds of diminutive pebbles and dust._ **

**_The man whimpered and sunk to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Kyouran turned back around and made sure that all had her attention with the piercing glare she gave._ **

**" _All who think you are treated like cattle and that I am your unwilling shepherd— you are correct. I, a demon to your standards, loathe the human race, but protect it from slaughter."_**

**_Tense silence._ **

**" _Satisfy yourselves with the consideration that I could instead wipe all of you off the face of the Earth, not to mention truly enjoy doing so."_**

**_Everything stated by the fierce figure was done so in a calm monotone, her gaze directed to all there, except for one._ **

**_Mekareh stood rooted in her place. She had never heard it said by Kyouran, but her father had always told her— had always warned her of her instincts against the race she was put to protect._ **

**_Feeling the weight of the pouch lift from her arms, she snapped her attention back to reality._ **

**_Kyouran flung the pouch under an arm and pinned it to place as she turned and began to walk to the way they came in, anyone in her path moving out of it immediately. She paused and looked back at Mekareh with her cool gaze._ **

**_She understood the look and ran to be at her side. They walked through the parting crowds in silence all the way to the great gates._ **

**_After exiting the district and reemerging on the beaten path flanked by the sakura on either side, Mekareh raised her gaze to ask the question that had been plaguing her, but she was beaten to the punch._ **

**_"I've killed many demons, and have also let many humans die when they got caught in the middle. That human's sister was one of them," was Kyouran's dejected answer to the unuttered question._ **

**_Mekareh bowed her head somberly as they walked. "Did you ever feel sad for them?"_ **

**_Kyouran sighed through her nose and closed her eyes. She traced the facets of the garnet incased in her onyx pendant._ **

**_"I do not pity or grieve what I hate."_ **

**_The morning's cool comforting breeze had died away, emerging as a breathless chill that extinguished the melodious chirping once over head. The pale-pink snowflake-like petals fell lifeless to the ground, ignored by the dimmed green spheres that now only contemplated the alabaster robe and the flow of dark brown locks as the apathetic figure strode towards the grand intersection of villages. Mekareh somberly followed— the afternoon rays advanced over her, as did the splendidly blue sky."_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese terms:  
> Oni - Demon  
> Hakaisha - Destroyer  
> Obaasan - grandmother (symbolically speaking in the chapter)


	9. Rigor and Vigor

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_** _Reminiscing_

**The depth of one's soul is measured by its ties. One lives, and one dies, but one's soul traverses through its time, anchored by the ties held from life.**

**Kyouran's soul was no different, except that it was one of the few to find a new vessel, to be reincarnated into a new time where a veiled destiny still tries to ensnare her, and her new vessel to its whim. A destiny coordinated to the wishes of her gemini equal, the person that cut destiny's hand in the first place.**

**Seeking answers from the past has only created more questions for Sofia. Feeling the unjust weight of some long ago purpose on her shoulders has done more than perplex her. She is the unwilling spectator in the torrent of memories that are played to her as dreams, and she awakes only more vexed by the lack of clarity.**

**After the first dream that happened more than a month ago at Gohan's house, she had wondered why anyone would want to kill her past life. The dreams that followed, however, showed that everyone surrounding Kyouran wanted her dead, indirectly or directly. But why her twin star, the person she was destined to be bound to? Why was the hand of destiny deluded from capturing Kyouran to her fate?**

**Those questions plagued Sofia whenever she let her mind fret over them, which was very rarely. The days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber were completely dominated by her training, which had increased to a level where she found herself barely withstanding the combat training Piccolo would teach her on a moment's whim. Then the day's final sparring were hours of draining, all out battle scenarios where she and Piccolo would fight until they completely exhausted each other, or until one lost their temper and retaliated against the other, which was the most frequent outcome.**

**There were only two situations that hadn't changed since their first day in the chamber: First was both their abilities to completely vex the other, and second was the fact that no matter how heated the battle or who held the upper hand, the ending always came out to a draw. This second fact alone created most of the petulant atmosphere between 'pupil' and 'teacher'. But in an ironic twist, these momentary spouts of ire only succeeded in fortifying the growing solidarity branching between them. Both found many endearing qualities in the other, such as Sofia's unrelenting drive and resilience, and Piccolo's indefatigable stubbornness and his gruff awkwardness to her brazen flirtation towards him.**

**In all, their 'platonic' relationship was progressing faster than their individual capabilities and motives for entering the chamber. His dedication of the larger portion of his time to her training and her suffering the handicaps of her wayward changes _—_ that would spark up with a pass of the dimensional threshold _—_  both played a part at hindering their mutual progress. But, both would unknowingly aid _—_  in their own unique manner _—_  each other into working over the discrepancies of their stay in the chamber. This in turn consisted of an unspoken, but mutually befitting set of routines that would propagate steady progression in both normality and habits, as well in combat.**

**Seeing as her fitful dreams only weighed her deeper into unconsciousness, Piccolo found himself having to rouse her every 'morning' from sleep, deciding to use his own methods for the task. Either ripping the covers off of her and shaking her awake, or flipping the mattress to an angle so she could tumble awake to the cold tiled floor, or simply carrying her to the bathroom and dropping her into a bathtub filled to the brim with stinging cold water and drowning her awake _—_  he always found his methods suitable, not to mention fun. He would also instigate her in any opportune moment with his snide intimidation, and would slyly act in a superciliously condescending manner that would have Sofia bursting from the seams with temerity during combat.**

**In return for this, Sofia went about catering to his lack of music appreciation by blaring or singing songs as obnoxious or tiring as possible from her numerous collection of albums and mixes during whatever activity, be it eating, getting dressed, or working out and warming up before the training of the day. She also tended to challenge him in the most passively aggressive manner and make the most wanton insinuations that would either dumbfound, enrage, or simply flush face the seasoned and ruthless Z Warrior.**

**Needless to say, they both found enough incentive to blow the other completely out of the water and to ascend to their highest capabilities and potential, in a steady scale.**

**The only thing that fell on deaf ears and numbed to their lips were their truly personal thoughts and feelings. Piccolo had yet to know anything of Sofia's past, besides her aversion to her family, and Sofia wondered if he truly thought of her as nothing more than a pest he was stuck with.**

**Piccolo also wondered what took place in Sofia's dreams, since she never spoke a word of them and he never felt it that necessary to ask. He assumed that they didn't deal with anything distressing since she showed no signs of being worried when she woke up. As soon as she was done snarling at him for waking her up from shouting in her ear or what not, she'd be in her usual cool and challenging mood, even a little more good tempered, that is if he could consider the bouncing around and singing she'd do just to annoy him a good thing.**

**The only person who knew what was really going on between the two was Nail, being how he had an expert outside view of both somewhat rivals. His coy coaxing and aloof comments never went absent in Piccolo's mind, but he did push for more prying from his counterpart to who the 'real' Sofia was. He felt that there was more there than just simple angst by her part, and that Kami's role in putting both Piccolo and her together in the chamber had more than training purposes in mind.**

**The fact that Piccolo became so distracted that even meditating wouldn't relax him, and that he wouldn't notice Sofia's reticent and sullen moments was another indication to Nail that neither knew the full circumstances and purpose for their meeting and cohabitation, but that they felt something was amidst.**

**He also felt that something meaningful was occurring to the two and that sooner or later it was going to lead to a deeper circumstance between Piccolo and her. However, Nail never imagined that it would happen during such a volatile day…**

* * *

 

**Having a past life sucks!**

**I never imagined that going through what I've gone through these past weeks would be such a pain in the ass, not to mention incredibly painful. The fucked up dreams aside, changing into what Kyouran used to be has been mornings of excruciating tension in every muscle, tendon and nerve of my body. Can you imagine having your skeletal frame elongate on you while you're on your way to the bathroom after waking up from a shitty excuse of a 'night's sleep'!? Not to mention having your eyesight go in and out sometimes cuz now your vision is up to par with a predator that can stalk its prey from hundreds of yards away!?**

**Well, yeah. Those are mere examples of the major changes I've suffered. It has been exceptionally hard, since I decided after the first training day not to let Piccolo know how bad it was. The last thing I needed was him ragging on me cuz I bitched about any new change that happened. If something happened and he wasn't around, then I could cuss like a mad woman to my heart's content, but since most of the changes happened as soon as I stepped through the dimensional threshold after having him wake me up by tossing the bed over my head or something, I'd bare through it with gritted teeth and a set jaw and just go to the bathroom to see what upgrade my body got, and Piccolo was none the wiser, at least he didn't seem to notice my discomfort.**

**Just this morning I got a jabbing ache in my jaw, and as I brushed my teeth and rinsed the paste out of my mouth, I saw my brand-spankin' new set of canines. Don't worry, they're nothing close to Piccolo's Dracula set _—_  they're more like Kiba's fangs from Naruto, or like Inuyasha's, in a way. That was pretty awesome, though. I've always wanted cool menacing-looking fangs so when I snarl and sneer I look somewhat threatening.**

**This morning didn't start off like the usual ones before it. For one thing, I didn't wake up submerged in the bathtub, or beaten ruthlessly awake with a pillow. I woke up by myself to find no Piccolo in the palace. I figured that I got up earlier than usual and that he was probably out somewhere meditating.**

**After getting dressed and having a light breakfast, I went to my music collection to choose the CD of the morning. After looking at the wicked crack in the wall Piccolo made weeks ago, I shivered in remembrance of his cold demeanor and diverted my eyes to the intricately-patterned box for the necklace that was now unpacked and left on the floor by my growing pile of dirty laundry next to the dresser. Every time I looked at that thing my mind flashed to the dream _—_ the dream of that fucked up ceremony. I frowned and took a shirt and tossed it over the box so I wouldn't see it for a while.**

**Huffing in relaxation, I looked back to my collection. "Now _—_  what will I play for the Namek today?" I smirked and began sifting through the titles to find the perfect selection. Truth be told, I started doing this with the intention of finding out what kind of music Piccolo would be into, or semi interested in. First I went for the obvious stuff: Anime OST'S. I'd play my mixes of Inuyasha themes and he'd just give me an intense glance to turn it off. Same result with the Lat Exile, Naruto, and Bleach stuff. Then I tried my collection of Gackt songs, but the only thing that came out of that was that I found out I can now understand, speak and correctly pronounce/enunciate Japanese, so I'd end up singing along to the entire album while Piccolo just glared at me and tell me to quit fooling around. After going through all my basic genres, I tried playing some System of a Down, and ended up having to run away from Piccolo with my boombox in hand as he threatened to demolish it if I ever played anything like that again.**

**So, I decided to just play whatever the hell I wanted and that hopefully he'd learn to have an appreciation to music _—_  from Aerosmith to No Doubt, to Nirvana to Korn, I had my own karaoke session every morning while I got dressed, ate, etc as the boombox went on with a slight echo because of the chamber. Plus, it was my own simple revenge for him being his usual tactless, condescending self and for his over the top wake up calls.**

**Anyway, I gave up on the CD search and decided to find out where exactly my gorgeous sensei was at. Which brings me to what I was doing now. I had figured that while I slept Piccolo took the time to relax and meditate. Watching him now from my laying position in front of the arch entranceway, my assumption had been totally the contrary. When I saw him a football field's distance away from the palace out on my side of the void, I felt this pang in my chest. I was surprised. To think that after the grueling day he would go through as he trained me, he would go out to train by himself while I slept.**

**I sunk to my heels and sat there, in front of the archway, and watched him for a long time. My eyesight had improved considerably, but would go haywire if I tried to focus on far distances then back to normal. I took it as practice and got the control down, to the point that I could zoom into a certain point miles away like a hawk, or like a tiger and hold my vision right. After getting used to it, I followed his moves. He was training intensely with a four-some of split forms, then after a while, he slowed his training down, performing a sequence of stances at an insane pace. There was something completely breath taking about him at that moment. His movements were fluid, not jerked or rushed, and his expression was chiseled, flawless. I was mystified to the point that I held my breath, so that I wouldn't unintentionally break his flow, even from such a considerable distance that I was sure he couldn't even hear nor see me.**

**After just watching him for at least a half hour or so, I ended up laying on my stomach with the sketchpad in front of me, drawing the vision of perfection out in the void miles away, with my boombox softly playing his DBZ theme off of one of my many anime mixes. The bass synthesizer along with poignant cello and other effects gave this air of challenge to his present demeanor. It was brooding and commanding, while his moves and expression were composed, but not apathetic.**

**I had one hell of a time getting him down to paper; the slight difference and appearance of his features once he was on my side of the divide were a bitch to capture, but I did my best.**

**You might be wondering about my dreams, and if I'm any more close to figuring out what Piccolo has to do with it. Unfortunately, that's been a bust, but as for my dreams, they've really given me insight on just who Kyouran was, but nowhere near why she was killed and by who.**

**Besides, the dreams are precursors to every new "true potential" ability I get, and I figured that I won't be finding out anything concrete for a while. I just wish I could get SOME sleep! It's like being half conscious, but in the dark after a dream plays through, and during the dream it's like I'm watching an episode from the audience's P.O.V., because I can even hear the people's thoughts.**

**Catching sight of Piccolo perform a series of phases and acrobatics, I couldn't help a drool fest begin as I checked out his flexing pectorals and arms as they exerted to his body's whim. I had finished the drawing and pushed the sketchpad to the side so I could pay more attention to the emerald warrior's sexy body. As the mix CD wound down the end of the last song, I pulled the disc out and popped another in, never taking my eyes off the yummy Namek.**

**Shuichi Shindou's "Spicy Marmalade" from one of the Gravitation OST'S dully echoed out of the speakers, synthesizer keyboards and effects meshed harmoniously to the melodic timbre of the singer's voice, making me grunt with humor to how much the beat reminded me for some reason of Piccolo. The enjoyable intensity of the song let me fall into sync with Piccolo's moves and the sequence of his actions.**

**Suddenly phasing to the air, Piccolo did a backflip and landed in a crouch and stood to his imposing height. He wiped perspiration from his brow with his forearm, then rolled his tense shoulders back and stretched the tension out of his joints. Lawd, it was like he wanted me to run out there and have my way with him!**

**_That Namek is begging for a spanking! If I died and got reincarnated, I wanna come back as his towel, then I can take my own tour of his pri—_ ** **I halted in mental spout as Piccolo suddenly turned and looked over in my direction _—_ his antennae vacillating slightly _—_  like if he knew I was there the whole time! Ducked out of visual range behind the purple drape, he seemed to not notice me. Then I saw him walking back towards the palace.**

**I slowly realized that he couldn't walk in and see me on the floor trying to conceal myself with the drape, so I stumbled up and grabbed the sketchpad, tossed it on the dresser and grabbed the boombox and moved.**

**Soon enough the fluttering of the drapes being parted wider sounded in the dome-shaped room, as did the patting of leather moccasins that suddenly halted just a little ways from where I was attempting to perform one-handed push-ups with the Gravitation OST on low next to me.**

**I glanced over in mid push-up at Piccolo, whose scrutinizing gaze was heavy on me, even with the raised brow ridge. His gi was damp with sweat and clung partially to his abs and certain areas of his chest, same going for his gi leggings to his shins and muscular thighs.**

**"You woke up by yourself…what have you been doing since then?" He crossed his arms and gave me 'the look', which is his 'tell me or the only thing left of you will be a crater' look.**

**I snickered at the tone and went back to the push-ups. "As you can see, I've been warming up. What would I have been doing otherwise, Piccolo-sensei?" I answered with veiled sarcasm and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.**

**Piccolo scowled at me and grunted, unconvinced. He traced his glare all over me, until he spotted evidence to contradict me. When I lost touch with the cold tile and only felt my baggy pants riding up my privates, I gawked at Piccolo over my shoulder and saw he had a tight hold to part of my shirt and waistband.**

**"If that was true, why can't I find a single bead of sweat on you? And I distinctly felt someone watching me while I was out in the void," he stated gruffly and let go, so I could land in a crawling position back to the tiled floor.**

**"Oi! Like I said, I've been warming up for the day since I woke up!" I snapped back at him, after all, watching Piccolo work out and train in the void would get anybody warmed up.**

**I stood up aloofly and went over to get another CD into play. Piccolo huffed and just watched me, like his glare alone could detect people's lies.**

**After hitting the play button, The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" from their Toughest Hits album revved up on a low volume. Piccolo looked at the boombox and sneered. "Must you play that trash every day," he grumbled haughtily and looked over at me with sternness. I pretended that I wasn't checking him out and just gave him a smug smile.**

**"** Hey ho let's go! **" I chanted along to the beginning line of the song and kept chanting as I turned on my heel and walked through the doorway. I'm pretty sure I heard Piccolo grind his teeth as I stepped out, and a soft flutter after he snapped his fingers to materialize his cape and turban.**

**I walked over to the kitchen, still reciting the lyrics to the song out loud, and opened the fridge to get an ice-cold bottle of water. I pushed my ponytail to rest behind my shoulder and entered the main room to feel a pair of glared daggers sink on me.**

**His jaw set, Piccolo gave me an intense glare from narrowed eyes and hunched his padded shoulders as he tried not to cringe cuz of the music resounding from my room.**

**Smirking at him, I tossed the bottle over, which he caught in a snap and looked stoically at me. I strode past him towards my room. "I know you must be thirsty after all the acrobatics yah did out there…got thirsty just watching yah," I remarked coolly and saw him glance over to me as I went into my room and shut the boombox off. I put it back in its place on top of the dresser and left the CD's in their cases next to it.**

**The rustling of cloth sounded softly with the swaying of air from the doorway.**

**"You should really learn to not contradict yourself, kid," Piccolo's gruff tone sounded from behind me.**

**I turned to face him and saw that he still hadn't even opened the water bottle. Snatching the bottle and unscrewing the cap, I retorted boldly, "I haven't contradicted myself at all, Piccolo. You must simply learn to read between the lines for the punch line, then you'll get the full answer." I smirked playfully at him and handed the bottle back.**

**Piccolo looked at the bottle, then back at me with annoyance. "Then why don't you humor me and quit the double talk, unless you're simply implying that I'm slow," Piccolo snapped harshly and was about to cross his arms, but remembered the bottle of water he was still holding and just gripped it with narrowed eyes and petulant scowl.**

**I rolled my eyes. "I've never thought of you as being slow…just naïve, and maybe a little ignorant," I answered dejectedly and continued coyly, "But I digress. I never said I wasn't watching you _—_  'warming up' has many connotations, you were just naïve enough to not pick that up." Pausing after Piccolo narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw in rising anger, I shrugged with a grunt. "So put simply, I was checking you out and used a semantical play to neither refute nor approve your suspicion that I was watching your fine ass work out."**

**With that, I grabbed my worn sneakers and sat on the bed to put them on while Piccolo gawked at me, jaw and water bottle clenched. After tying my shoes, I stood up and raised an eyebrow at him. "I think you should drink that before it evaporates. Don't need you all dehydrated and worn out during the spar _—_ wouldn't be getting my money's worth," I remarked sardonically and walked to the archway and looked at him over my shoulder.**

**Piccolo gave me an intense stare before downing the water and hostilely placing the bottle on the dresser. "You're so close to getting knocked into a wall, you know that? I'm sick of all the crazy smut you say to me," he paused and added as he stalked over, "it's just a matter of time before you suffer a fatal accident out in the void, Sofia." His tone was snide and biting, intimidation leaking from his glare that it could burn through armor.**

**I back pedaled out to the void floor as Piccolo walked out. "Man, that's so harsh! I was just paying you a compliment on how much of a stud you are, and you threaten me with physical harm," I mock whined and gave him a child-like pout. "Hate to see what you'd do if someone talked shit to you."**

**Piccolo stopped in his tracks, shut his eyes and balled up his fists in growing embarrassment and frustration. "SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY ANY OF THAT SMUT TO ME AGAIN!" he roared balefully, causing a deafening echo in the chamber.**

**After the echo subsided and he regained his composure, I looked at him with my 'what is up with you' look. "Jeez, how troublesome you are! Stop acting like a fourth grader! If you really wanna know what smut is I can give you an earful of examples," I replied in a terse and offhanded way as I crossed my arms. "One would be how good you'd look dipped in chocolate and suckling on your own antennae, or how about you and Nail just experi-"**

**Next thing I knew, I was grabbed by the throat, hitching my breath in one place, and felt the muscles of my upper left arm flex from the loss of circulation from Piccolo's almost wringing grip.**

**Burning graphite orbs sank into mine, his brow knitted in mounted exasperation. "Every time you say something _—_ I'm revolted!" his sneer was sharp and jarring to me as he added, "I'm not susceptible to any of your advances, and I'm not here to be your perverted infatuation, girl! So, from now on you'll keep your mouth shut and any smut-filled comments to yourself."**

**Piccolo let go of my arm and released my neck from his grip after I lowered my gaze. He then brushed by me and started leading away from the palace. I slowly turned to follow him when I noticed he halted in pace.**

**Looking over a cape-covered shoulder pad, he gave me an intense glare of finality. "I have no sentimental interest in you what-so-ever…and I never will." He redirected his gaze away from me and kept walking, his majestic cape swaying with his confident and stern stride.**

**After diverting my gaze from his back, I sighed and followed him at a considerable distance, the circulation quickly returning to my arm and the ghost grip around my neck fading as I calmed and took a breath. I pulled the necklace out from the shirt and let it rest over it, the garnet stone gleaming even under the sky-less endlessness.**

**_That was really…harsh…_ **

* * *

 

' **Females are quite strange and frustrating, but speaking to one in such a manner is simply cold, Piccolo. I didn't quite get what she was saying, but there's still no reason for you to have spoken to her so turbulently,' commented Nail in a fatherly tone to his surly counterpart.**

**'I'm not interested in your two cents, Nail, so keep your comments to yourself would yah!' Piccolo mentally spat as he made considerable distance from the palace, with Sofia not so far behind.**

**'Well, if you would have listened earlier when I tried to tell you something you wouldn't be going through the 'aggravation' of hearing my comments now,' Nail snapped with sharp derisiveness.**

**'I find that _highly_  unlikely,' grumbled Piccolo snidely. 'What is it then?'**

**Nail humphed before asking, 'Have you noticed anything specifically peculiar about Sofia's demeanor?'**

**Piccolo snickered sardonically at his counterpart's inquiry. 'Hm, oh let me think of something that isn't wrong with that girl's attitude _—_ what kind of stupid question is that!' Piccolo snapped cynically.**

**'I said _specifically_ peculiar so to avoid any dull remark, but of course that was in vain,' Nail remarked sharply and continued, 'when we first fused on Namek, our consciousness's collided, causing the fleeting side effect of inter-switching fragments of memories and bits of identity for quite some time before we adapted to the central bridge and core that divides us, so I was able to see some of your old memories and you mine, remember?'**

**'Yeah, and what about it?' Piccolo exchanged with a growing curiosity.**

**'Something I saw a lot of in your memories was your training of Gohan, and in that itself is where I bring my point,' pausing to give emphasis, he continued scrupulously, 'he had a tendency to whine, cry and complain about most of what he had to do before he was conditioned to the idea and effort of fighting _—_  a common thing with those who are thrown into the rigors of combat. Being in a situation where she's subjected to uncertainty and risk over her own potentials and then multiplying that with the fact that she's subjected to such a ruthless brute like you that oversees her training, I find it peculiar that she has never once whined, cried or complained during this entire ordeal, no matter how stressful or danger-filled the scenario was. To make it simple, she's never once acted in a way that would be considered normal for any warrior in training, whether it be a child or adult, or male or female.'**

**Piccolo humphed and glanced back at Sofia, who had her gaze diverted to another angle. _Now that he mentions it, that is pretty odd, especially since she's just a smart-assed girl,_ Piccolo remarked to himself, and began trying to think back to any time that Sofia even whined about him being too hard on her, or complained about how long they were out training, or anything of the sort. Huffing through his nose, he became annoyed.**

**'One of the hardest things for someone just starting out is figuring out their individual stance for battle, and any accompanying fighting style that goes with it. Gohan bitched to no end about that, saying it was too hard to learn all of that and remember it, especially when he was forced to on a moment's whim and against someone as 'mean' as me,' Piccolo scoffed, holding back his temper as he continued, 'and that little hentai who I've been equally tough on acts like I'm an insipid push-over!'**

**If Nail had been corporeal at that moment, he would have surely taken a dive to the floor. 'What are you talking about!?' he emphasized incredulously.**

**'She thinks she can live through my training like it's some sort of jog through a park, huh?! Well then, I'll break her down and work her so ragged she'll be begging to complain after what I have planned for her now,' Piccolo scorned out as his meticulous and calculating mind devised a full-proof way for getting even a seasoned fighter like Goku to complain. 'That smart-mouthed, female-version-of-Roshi is gonna bitch for sure,' he telepathically gloated as he gave one final glance over to Sofia before cracking his knuckles.**

**Nail sighed at how maniacal his counterpart sounded. 'What do you plan to do, and you do know you sound like a crazed fool, right?' Nail scoffed aloofly.**

**Piccolo grunted. 'Isn't as bad as sounding like a nagging hag all the time,' he retorted back and continued, 'my plan is to force her into a martial art training that even I hated doing when I started out, and still loathe til this day, especially when I'd force myself to do it with the weighted gear. Under this gravity, I guarantee she'll be worn out enough to complain, even whine like a snot-nosed child.'**

**Nail tisked sardonically. _I really hope whatever mental problem he has isn't contagious…_**

* * *

 

**_More stance and style training today and I had to go and piss him off already. Humph, I might just be a masochist after all,_ ** **Sofia mentally grumbled as she trailed her gaze over the alabaster folds of Piccolo's cape, her arms folded and her stride at its usual stalking pace.**

**She wrinkled her nose at the feeling of expectation that she had after weeks of changeable training routines. Piccolo had forced dozens of fighting styles on her, only dedicating a crash-course at a moment's pace then taking her directly into an intense spar session where she was to put all her learning against his expertise.**

**The key of this was not only to give her a wider range of versatility for combat, but to also find which stance and style suited her capabilities best. She had as of yet to find her fit with any of them.**

**From the relentless and unrestrained attack style of the Tiger, to the evasiveness counter-strike style of the Crane, to even a familiar stance and fighting style for her _—_ a trademark style used by Rock Lee from Naruto _—_  known as Iron Fist style, which is a purely offensive type of fighting that is laid back in its approach but fierce with its speed, Sofia had widened her combat knowledge and techniques considerably, but never found one that suited her.**

**All three of these stances were to her comfort, but would falter in other areas. The crouching and bared claws of the Tiger style went well with her speed and unpredictability, but failed her in her grappling and did nothing for her less-than-average size difference with Piccolo, not to mention having to rely on a brute strength and ruthlessness that she didn't possess. The striking hand formation and fluidness of the Crane style improved her evading skills, but turned out to be her weakest fighting style since it made her act defensively and only counter or absorb her opponent's attacks, creating weak points when she was supposed to be exploiting her enemy's weaknesses. Then the straight-forwardness of the Iron Fist style, a simple standing stance with one foot planted lightly before the other and one hand held behind the back with the other outstretched with the back of the hand directed to the opponent, had for a moment seemed to be the perfect one for her, but when in all out combat, she found she wasn't able to maintain the use of the blistering speed and the heightened strength that went with it, not to mention fend off Piccolo's counters when her reserves tapped out and left her exhausted.**

**_I'm seriously wary to what he has planned for today,_ ** **she thought as she caught herself absently staring at his back. She diverted her gaze just as Piccolo glanced back at her. When he looked away she silently cursed her infatuations and sneered at how stubborn her attraction to him was.**

**_I need to just face it and accept that he doesn't like me at all. But that still doesn't mean I have to prove his condescending ass right!_ ** **She thought sternly, biting her lip in firm determination.**

**"Stop daydreaming, kid! We've gone far enough," pulling her attention back, Sofia realized that she had spaced out and walked right past Piccolo who had halted in pace.**

**Feeling the comfort that at least she wasn't in anime _—_ ergo no sweatdrop or exaggerated blush _—_  she turned cautiously around to face the owner of the gruff tone. Even though she was a bit taller than before, Piccolo still loomed over her with his imposing height, his arms folded and his air intimidating.**

**She gazed up at her sensei stoically. "If you're gonna blast me, do it and get it over with," Sofia remarked dejectedly, earning a dry grunt in reply.**

**"Maybe later. Now you're gonna do stance training," Piccolo spoke with reduced severity in his tone, getting a raised eyebrow from her.**

**"What about practicing more styles? I thought we were _—_ " **

**" _We_  nothing! You're gonna forget about that and just do what I tell you to, understand!?" Piccolo snapped sharply. Her features became unreadable and cold as she gave a curt nod in affirmation.**

**Privately relishing in the absence of her verbal counters, the scrupulous warrior continued, "This stance training will improve the resistance of your muscles against fatigue and strain, and it should help you get a handle on keeping your energy reserves from tapping out and your ki concentration from depleting." _Not to mention annoy the piss out of you,_ was his smug thought as he held back his amusement.**

**"What do I have to do," was her monotone inquiry.**

**"You'll perform the sequence of Kata stances that you should've memorized from last time," not even a flinch of worry showed on her features, so he added, "and you'll pause whenever I tell you to, whether it be in full, semi, or mid stance, then you'll hold the stance until I tell you to continue, and I expect it to be perfect, kid."**

**Piccolo bit back the sulking scowl that threatened to unmask him when she still didn't allude to any annoyance, not even a challenging gleam graced her features.**

**'Persistent little hentai, isn't she!' was Piccolo's telepathic grumble.**

**'I would say she's resilient, and she knows what you are up to,' Nail chimed with offhandedness.**

**'It's just a tough front, that's all, and I'm gonna break it down.'**

**Piccolo stepped back a few paces and folded his arms. His gaze intensified, ready to pinpoint the opportune spots of the sequence to exploit for his plan.**

**Sofia inhaled a deep breath through her nose and slowly exhaled it back out. Her composure was of steel and even Piccolo couldn't chip through it. Under her iron resolve, she felt like this was another initiation for a higher impression in Piccolo's eyes, and she had to use everything she had to stifle the trembling in her hands and the buckling of her knees. She had a pretty good idea what he planned, but even with the general insight of his surliness and his closet vindictiveness, she wasn't fool proof on it.**

**_Guess I won't have a chance to impress him with the fighting style I picked up from my dream last night,_ ** **was her passive thought as she got in position.**

**Piccolo humphed and turned his features to stone. "Now…begin!"**

**The gruff command put her in motion, her moves poised and conditioned while her features were apathetic and drawn. It was more than training to her now _—_  it was a condescending challenge to her capabilities, and an all out snicker from the person that scrutinized her movements. It was his unvoiced scoff of how derogatory his view of her was. She would prove his view wrong, and make him see that she was more. That she was worthy of having him feel the way she felt for him.**

**"Stop."**

**Her muscles flexed into the full side-kicking pose, right leg on pointed toes holding her body upright as her left leg froze outstretched in mid air _—_  arms parallel to each other and at level with her shoulders. She set her jaw and narrowed her eyes at the burning ache settling in her calves and thighs as the seconds ticked by and turned into a minute of holding the pose without falter or trembling.**

**"Your muscles should be starting to ache right about now," she glanced carefully to the right, stoic composure seeping into her semblance.**

**Piccolo's intense gaze seemed to add weight as he traced her for any faults in her pose. He began to pace around her, but his tactics weren't making her nervous. _Nothing...maybe I'll let her hold on longer._ "After your muscles begin to ache, fatigue starts to settle in, weighing your limbs down," he paused at her left and noticed that the back of her shirt was damp with sweat, and small beads were making their way down her temples and cheekbones from her hair line and forehead. "Your joints buckle and your muscles start to slack, then tighten painfully as fatigue turns into throbbing strain," he remarked, with still no show of debilitation from her. To instigate his point further, he went and pressed a large hand against the small of her back, grinding his thumb against the adjoining bone of her pelvis and spine. Sofia's eyes widened and her posture stiffened and straightened further. **

**"Keeping your posture from slouching enables your body to get accustomed to having pressure built in your lower back. That pressure is tension that your body must get accustomed to. It keeps your frame squared and rigid, so it counteracts the affects of strain and fatigue." He pulled his hand back and grunted after he noticed the subtle tint of blush over the bridge of her nose.**

**"I'll keep that in mind," she mumbled and looked straight ahead. She was suppressing her trembling very well.**

**Her years of corporal punishment had been good practice.**

**_No wonder his back is tense all the time,_ ** **was her absent thought.**

**Becoming somewhat intrigued by her fortitude, Piccolo decided to see what else she could withstand. "Alright…Continue!"**

**Continuing to follow through with the kick, she clicked into the proceeding sequence, breathing a sigh of relief that she had gotten so far without any scolding.**

**The course of the sequence and Piccolo's instructions placed and held her gruelingly in contorting poses and formations that preyed upon her patience and composure for the duration until his next command.**

**Her annoyance mounting, it suddenly dawned on her that she could always play his game and turn it against him.**

**"Stop."**

**Her frame held tightly to the pressure in her back to keep her leg extended and frozen as if to plow down on an opponent, one arm held higher than the other, both hands in balled fists.**

**_The Namek is trying to make me cave for some reason, and I won't give it to him!_ ** **She mentally declared and steadied the trembling in her shoulders by pulling all the tension of her body to rest in her lower back.**

**Piccolo wasn't ready to give himself up _—_  not just yet. Pose after pose, Sofia managed to thwart him with her physical resilience and iron composure, never once playing into her brooding sensei's hands.**

**Keeping silent count of the now ticking minutes since his last command, Piccolo clenched his fists behind his back and glanced intensely at his posing pupil and somewhat nemesis.**

**_S'been two minutes…_ ** **Sofia clenched her jaw and exhaled through her nose, _he's at his angstiest already._**

**Glancing over her shoulder, she held back a smarmy smirk as she remarked to the brooding Namek, "Um, did you get distracted checking my butt out back there, or did you just run out of poses to put me through, oh wise Piccolo-san."**

**Choking on a grunt, Piccolo's mortified stare turned into one of ire as he hollered, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! I'm not some depraved human male looking to bed a mate!"**

**"So it's that you have no other poses to put me in then?" she asked coyly.**

**Piccolo opened his mouth to answer, but with no real answer in mind, he clamped his lips together and scowled deeply.**

**'She got you there, hasn't she?' Nail chuckled softly.**

**'…hey Nail?'**

**'Yes _—_ ACK!?' Losing his temper against his counterpart, Piccolo used all his telepathic output to forcefully shove Nail into a mental closet and block him from his consciousness.**

**'Shove it!'**

**Feeling a light tug on his right earlobe, Piccolo snapped his eyes open to see Sofia nose-to-nose with him, floating to make their heights equal.**

**"You okay? You looked like you were having a mental hemorrhage," she mused and added, "the old lady acting up again?"**

**Piccolo snorted dryly. "The nag is indisposed for now," he remarked, then gave her an intense glance as he added, "I didn't tell you to move from your stance, kid."**

**"Well, if I hadn't known that your intention was to play mind games I would've probably stayed in stance," she replied coolly and added with a shrug, "and after a while, it started becoming fun anyway. So I'm sure it negates your plans if I'm actually having fun with it."**

**"…Fun?" the darkened inflection of his tone was biting.**

**"** Hai **! I just started to pretend I was Bruce Lee gettin' ready to lay the smack down on someone and it actually made the sequence entertaining," she replied simply as she fixed her hair in its tie.**

**Narrowed eyes, tightened jaw and flaring nostrils made his expression a Kodak moment as he glowered down at her and steamed at how nonchalant she brushed it off.**

**"Training isn't ever _fun_ , especially if it's  _my_  training," he sneered and added, "Who are you trying to fool, girl! Stop trying to act tough and _—_ " he was cut off by her heated glare.**

**"And what?! Be a sniveling little brat whining about how mean you are and how I can't do anything!?" Sofia snapped, holding his gaze, and continued, holding back her tone. "What's the point of it? If I was like that you'd be damning me for being weak, and now you're damning me for _not_  crying about it!"**

**Piccolo internally winced at how foolish it sounded out loud…and at how stupid it was for him to have created his 'vendetta' in the first place.**

**Sofia's smoldering gaze diminished to her challenging flare. "Well, you failed at whatever you were trying to get from me, so shall we continue onto something new," she stated stoically and turned on her heel, walking a little away from him before pausing in stride. "I think I solved my style problem," she remarked to him over her shoulder.**

**Recovering his steel composure, he crossed his arms and let a wordless grunt rumble from his chest before remarking flatly, "Oh?"**

* * *

 

**Her dream from the night before seemed to be a gift given at the needed time. Kyouran would normally not waste time with combat and would go for the kill before her prey realized its fate.**

**The last dream, however, finally revealed her fighting prowess and also introduced the only other figure _—_ besides Mekareh _—_  that held actual worth for her. Younger brother of high priestess Sumeragi, the 7th head of the Sumeragi clan was a jovial young man of slender build with wide eyes the color of somber purplish-blue, and pale alabaster skin. He lived in a far off province where the onmyouji clan had made there new holding place, surrounded by the masses and the supernatural.**

" _Are you holding back, Kyouran? It really doesn't suit you," mused the smirking man as he brushed fine raven bangs from matting to his forehead as he panted from the corner across from the humored demon warrior._

" _I have an unfair advantage. You hardly train, let alone see combat, Saiga-sama," she responded dryly, in stance with a faint smile gracing her delicate lips._

_The young man coughed out a tenor chuckle and got back into stance. "Addressing me with an honorific? Now that really doesn't suit you," he remarked as he lunged towards her with his fist pulled back and only struck air._

_A breeze swept by, carrying pale flaking petals in its currents to land in the pond of the courtyard, just across from the small open dojo._

_He whipped backwards and blocked the fist directed to his face and struck her back with an open palmed hit to the center of her chest._

_Adjusting his simple grey robe, he sobered his composure. "So how was your trip?" he inquired offhandedly and went at her with a series of roundhouses that she expertly swiveled and dove away from._

" _How did you know?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as she caught his foot and flipped him away._

_He landed with both feet skidding and flipped forward onto his hands to spin back at her and strike her side with his left foot before returning to his upright stance. "The only time you pass through here is when you're returning from your pilgrimages. Or when you miss getting pummeled by a mere human," he remarked with a smile._

_She scoffed. "You are way too playful today, Saiga-sama," she remarked flatly as she straightened her dingy white robe and bowed._

_Slouching his shoulders, he frowned lightly. "Kyouraaaan! You always bow out of our matches," he objected and she rolled her eyes. "I'm beginning to think that you just don't want to admit defeat at the hands of a short guy like me," he mockingly accused and put his hands on his hips, standing on his toes so he could be nose to nose with her._

" _Hm, for a human your stature is impressive, Saiga-sama, so admitting defeat to you because of your height would not be a problem," she replied aloofly and continued, "the problem would be that admitting defeat to you is a figment of your juvenile imagination, since you could never fight me seriously."_

_The young man huffed, teetered back on his heels with his hands behind his back, turned away from her as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Touché!" he chimed and looked at her over his shoulder._

_She shook her head from side to side. "Hm, I seriously wonder how you can be related to the "high priestess"; one of you must've been switched at birth," she remarked with veiled amusement._

_His composure once again sobered at the change of subject. "How is Hitomi nee-san?" his tone was composed and wise, more appropriate for his title and 22 years of life._

_Kyouran crossed her arms and watched the rippling pond with the evening light fading in its reflection. "Old."_

_The remark got the expected reaction. "Hahahaha! That's incredibly harsh, Kyouran. You could've said elderly instead," he grinned, letting his soft chuckles warm his chest and brighten his gaze._

" _She doesn't speak of you…never has. Only about her destiny and her responsibility," she remarked dejectedly, causing him to lower his gaze somewhat. "I'd bet if you just showed up at the village she'd really drop dead from the anxiety."_

"… _Nee-san has always embraced her destiny. I wish she'd done differently," he muttered more to himself._

_The confession stirred gentleness in her countenance. "I will send her your regards, Saiga-sama," she remarked and turned to the steps leading to the courtyard._

" _Heh…Kyouran?" She turned to glance at him. "Try not to be so harsh when you do," he petitioned with a smile and raised his hand in 'farewell'._

_She grunted softly and turned to keep walking down the steps. "I'll keep that in mind, Saiga-sama…"_

**Sofia had smiled at the memory when she remembered the dream, then focused on the detail of the style Kyouran had used.**

**"Alright. What style have you decided to use _. Y_ ou better not have made it up on the spot," grumbled Piccolo with his arms folded over his chest.**

**She rolled her eyes, and stretched her muscles before getting into the stance. Lowering her posture, she bent her knees until all her weight rested on her back leg, keeping her front leg straight with pointed toes like a ballerina, and bent her palms outward, close to her torso, fingernails in readiness to tear at her opponent.**

**Piccolo glanced at her stance before snorting. "What is that supposed to be?! Don't tell me you're using that as your stance," he remarked snidely.**

**Sofia narrowed her eyes. "And what is the problem with my stance?" she retorted with a raised eyebrow.**

**Unfazed by the remark, he replied in a business tone, "I guess I wasted my time these past weeks training you, kid! For one, all your weight is balanced on your back leg, making it easy for an opponent to knock you on your ass with a swift kick. You're open at all angles except your front, and that's got a weak guard up as it is. I could overwhelm you blindfolded!"**

**Instead of a scowl, Piccolo received a twisted grin in challenge. "Oh? Those are your expert assessments?" she paused with veiled smugness, "Hn, can I prove you wrong, sensei?"**

**The blood roared in Piccolo's veins at hearing her condescending tone, his eyes narrowing as he growled, "Going up against me in whatever piss-poor style that goes with that pathetic attempt of a stance will get you hurt," he bit back his temper and regained some calm in his tone as he added, "I haven't gone easy on you, and I sure as hell don't intend to start now, Sofia."**

**Her demeanor darkening, she scorned, "Piccolo… _I don't want you to ever go easy on me_!" The stern gleam in Piccolo's eyes flickered to something unreadable. "I only ask that you stop talking down to me and continue letting me give you a run for your money," she remarked fiercely.**

**His brow twitching with interest at her defiance, he gave her stance one more once over before saying, "I gave you the 'courtesy' of a warning," he got into his own fighting stance, a merciless gleam sparking in his graphite orbs as he added, "now, come prove me wrong _—_  that is, if you can."**

**Sofia's cool smirk made her chocolate eyes dance with temerity. "Not only will I prove you wrong, but I bet I can knock the turban off your head with not much effort, Namek," she boasted coolly.**

**Piccolo submerged the growl building in his chest and managed not to snarl as he retorted, "The only thing that's gonna get knocked off is your head from your shoulders if you don't watch it!"**

**The glaring contest went into effect. They sized each other up for any sign of the first strike, when it finally came via Piccolo.**

**_Smug little bitch!_ ** **He lunged at her with an outstretched fist, only to strike open air.**

**"That punch was way off, sensei." Piccolo snapped his gaze to his left, where Sofia smirked at him, still in stance.**

**_Whatta?! She phased? But I didn't even sense the shift,_ ** **he ran by himself, getting back into stance. _It was a fluke, that's all… just have to focus on her movements._**

**Sharpening his senses, he went at her with a flurry of punches, growling in agitation as he only connected with empty space each time. She wasn't phasing, just dodging fast enough that he was barely able to notice.**

**"Grrrh!" He went to swipe his arm down on her shoulder, and instead received a fist firmly planted to his abdomen. It was then when he doubled over from the hit that he caught sight of what she was doing.**

**As he would go to strike, she'd buff her hands just before the fist would reach her, and it would somehow cause her to teeter just out of the way and give her the opportunity to strike.**

**His ire rising, Piccolo powered up and went at her with an uppercut, and instead faked out at the last minute and went with a roundhouse. Sofia buffed her hand outward and spun backward, just missing the kick, and struck Piccolo on his side with a palm hit before jabbing her thrusting hands into a pressure point just after the curve of his ribcage and just below his sternum.**

**The jolt that almost made him bite down on his tongue dissipated enough for his hazed mind to realize just what she was doing.**

**_Ki Polarity! I should've figured it out after I missed the first punch!_ ** **he spat out the bile that had risen to his throat and narrowed his eyes. _She's using the splurges of ki that seep through while I fight to polarize her own movements, and buffs her hands so she can repel herself out of the way and attract herself back to strike when I'm left open. W_ iping the corner of his mouth with his forearm, he took away the familiar taste of his own blood from his lips and got back into stance, facing Sofia.  _And by polarizing, she also was able to jolt me with the ki she buffed onto her hands…my ki, and exploited an 'energy valve' where built up ki pools and treated it like a pressure point._ He went on to deduce that it was the modified equivalent of the energy beams he could shoot out of his eyes, and that the basic technique all together was proof of her resilience, since he could not do the same against her, being how she couldn't be sensed.  _Clever girl…_**

**His scowl hardened as he watched the playful glee resting just behind Sofia's narrowed eyes as she stood in her odd stance across from him. "Don't know what it's called, but it is pretty versatile, huh," she remarked as a smile pulled at her lips.**

**Piccolo grunted gruffly. _I'll just have to take her by surprise. That little trick won't work if I don't let any ki leak while I strike,_ he strategized before forming a quick energy ball behind his back.  _Let's see if she can handle ki confusion._**

**"Pretty clever, kid. But I'm afraid I'll have to end this little game," he stated with smug contemptuousness as he flew at her.**

**He shot the energy at her just before he phased out, and phased in behind her for an ambush, but got a huge surprise when she was facing him, in perfect stance. Before he knew what happened, he instinctively went to strike her and she fell back on her back leg, causing her pointed front leg to plow upwards into his chin.**

**He staggered back. When he snapped his guard back up to face her, Sofia pushed herself airborne with her weight-balancing leg and used the momentum to spin her front leg and fake out, to instead drive her back leg out and kick a solid, weighted turban off of her opponent's head, and send it thudding and rolling on its sides to the gravity-weighed floor of the chamber.**

**She landed in a crouch behind him, panting from the exertion of her ki depletion. Sofia stood and turned around to find Piccolo still rooted to his spot, giving his cape festooned back to her, his bald head and vacillating antennae unsheltered with the absence of his turban.**

**"Turns out I ended the game I started," she remarked with a slightly ragged tone and added, "proud of myself."**

**Piccolo tried to submerge the shock of having underestimated her as he turned to face his opponent. He didn't know where his strategy turned to her favor, or how she was able to get pass the ki confusion move. All he did was look at her with his curiosity hidden behind his narrowed eyes and etched scowl.**

**"Still trying to figure it out, Piccolo?" his attention snapped almost avidly to her words, waiting for some sort of clarification when he begrudgingly couldn't find it himself.**

**He crossed his arms, the action making his gentle antennae sway. "Your style uses ki polarity to dictate where to evade and strike, a simple method that was easy to figure out _—_ "**

**Sofia cut him off with a huffing sigh. "I know you figured the style out cuz you went through the trouble of trying to confuse my polarity and senses when you threw the ki ball," she petulantly remarked. "What you haven't noticed is something that should've been obvious when you faked out the punch and went with the roundhouse. That little stunt nearly wore me out."**

**Piccolo's interest broke through his steel trap of emotion. "I thought for sure I would've landed that kick…" he bit his tongue when he realized his slip, but faltered anyway, "How did you know where I was gonna phase to? You've been exploiting my ki, so my move should've been masked."**

**Sofia sighed contently and closed her eyes as she released her hair tie. "I really love how you can't sense my ki," she grinned coyly and continued, "I was leaking out my own ki the whole time, so it would act as an energy trip-wire," noticing the wave of realization flow into his graphite orbs, she went on, "I flooded it exponentially, keeping it low so it wouldn't give off an aura, and used it to sign off my senses when a shift of motion occurred. Fake outs weren't gonna work, since they still required some shift of motion, and phasing was obsolete too."**

**Piccolo's baritone voice carried forced apathy as he said, "That style works against you in the end. You're constantly depleting ki to keep your guard up on all sides, and you get worn out easily."**

**"True," she said as she looked over and found her long awaited trophy, "but it was my first time using it, and it was good exercise for channeling and distributing my ki and energy."**

**She walked over and picked up the discarded turban and tested its weight. Her assessment was that it had to be about 80lbs. She casually remembered how easily he could heft her around, and how her weight is inconsequential since it's only a 20lbs difference with the turban. Piccolo eyed her, pinching the tip of his tongue under a pointed fang to try and stifle his curiosity. He ended up raising an eye ridge and cocking his head to the side after Sofia spun the turban between both her palms before putting it on her head.**

**Even with her hair loose, the turban was still two sizes too big for her and slumped forward onto her forehead. Adjusting it, she pushed it so it would rest just before her hairline and that it'd pin her long bangs against her temples and jaw line.**

**Flashing Piccolo the peace sign and a fangy grin, she swiftly turned on her heel and started striding in direction to the small palace in the distance. "I WIN! WOOOOHOOO 2 - 1, Piccylow!" she shouted in her boisterous tone and left the wide-eyed Namek staring with his lips pressed together in a conflicting expression.**

**As he watched her walk off, Piccolo grunted a soft rumble before muttering to himself, "…I could really use some sake right about now…"**

* * *

 

**He splashed the cold water onto his face, the gash on his cheekbone stinging at the contact. Staring at himself in the mirror, he surveyed the bruises that had begun to seep away on his face, his black eyes coming upon the gash. _That's gonna take a while to heal,_ was his monotone thought as he once again cupped his hands in the filled sink and splashed the cold water onto his face, the stinging not as severe.**

**Wiping the excess moisture off his brow, Piccolo stepped out of the bathroom and into the main room. He extended his right arm and bent his elbow, clenching and unclenching his fist. The fracture in his forearm had mended enough to just leave a bruise. Grunting, he sat on the edge of the purple bed, internally wincing at the jabbing pain of the hairline fracture of a rib in his left side when he shifted to pick up his discarded turban that laid on the opposite edge.**

**_She really doesn't hold back,_ ** **he thought to himself before putting the turban on. _If she keeps it up, she'll manage to equal Vegeta's crazy intensity._**

**'I think she already has,' broke in Nail.**

**Mentally huffing, Piccolo ground out, 'Since when have you been skulking around! I don't listen in on your thoughts, so keep out of mine!'**

**'You were thinking too loud _—_  you know that it is very simple for one to hear if you're letting your thoughts reverberate over the central bridge,' remarked Nail and added with ebbed sharpness, 'and I've been "skulking" around since I broke out of that asinine block of yours, which was sometime around when you two began sparring.'**

**Piccolo humphed. 'Well do me the favor and keep quiet. Now is not the time for your bitching,' he remarked with surliness as he pressed tentatively on his aching side, finding that the fracture was in the process of mending.**

**'You know I can't do that after the way you acted during that spar,' rebuffed Nail.**

**Growling, Piccolo spat, 'I acted in the way any other opponent would have! We both did, so I don't know what gives you the need to bitch!'**

**They had been fighting on the ground, exhausting each other until neither could keep up fighting solely hand-to-hand. Piccolo was keeping protective guard of his left side, where Sofia had plowed her shoulder into when she speared him, so he began ruthlessly retaliating with energy attacks.**

**Sofia only gained scrapes and welts from the fighting, but her energy reserves were in danger of tapping out. She could barely keep her stance together. Dodging his attacks aimlessly, the exertion once again began to take over her limbs, but she fought the feeling by pumping all her ki to swirl into her bloodstream, circulating it constantly.**

**Seeing the weakness, Piccolo decided to exploit it. He used every ounce of energy to muster up a final energy stream and shot it off full force hurtling straight towards her.**

**Her chest began to ache painfully with her over-exertion, rendering her incapable to move out of the way of the attack. She could only put up her forearms and shield herself from the oncoming energy stream. The remnants of her ki flared on her arms, creating a tougher shield into which the searing energy plowed against, sending her skidding back.**

**With her last burst of ki, she shouted fierily and cut through the stream with flaring intensity, the remnants of which broke up into searing razor-like energy rays that splintered off all around the area.**

**Piccolo's forearm braced against the floor with great force after one of the rays nicked a gash into his cheek and the burst pushed him back. When the torrent dissipated, he got up and realized that once again…it was a draw. Sofia was meters away, sitting up, nursing her left leg.**

**She had said that her leg didn't hurt too bad and that it wasn't a big deal, so they returned to the palace, where she limped into her room, while he darted past her to cross the dimensional line and went into the main room.**

**'Are you blind, or just ignorant, Piccolo?!' Nail barked with uncharacteristic harshness and added, 'did you even notice how she was hiding her injury!?'**

**The question jolted Piccolo, making him somewhat uneasy. 'She said she was fine,' was his stern reply.**

**'Of course that excuse was enough for you, after all, she did say she didn't want you to go easy on her,' Nail didn't ebb the snide growl his tone took on. 'Do you actually think she would be truthful about getting hurt?! She shows a lack of emotion during everything else _—_ brushing it off as something below her capabilities, why wouldn't she do the same after a spar that even  _you_  got injured in.'**

**In the back of his mind, something pulled on his instincts, and for once it wasn't Nail… it was the fleeting guide that usually lay dormant: his conscience.**

**Noticing Piccolo's silence, Nail pushed on, 'It's been over an hour since you left her alone in her quarters, and she hasn't made a sound. The only thing audible from that room is that portable device that broadcasts music. Most of your wounds have healed, and the fracture on your side is fully mended,' he broke off to let his counterpart brew over his words.**

**"…Fine."**

**Piccolo stood up and faced the direction to her room. He cursed his irreverent conscience and made his way to and through the threshold, the swaying air caressing the cut on his cheek with sharpness.**

* * *

 

**_"Mekareh had changed out of her apprentice onmyouji gi to her simple white robe and headed out as soon as the rumor spread that Kyouran was spotted returning to the village via the grand intersection of villages. She had a pretty good idea where her unique friend would be after finding out that her mare was being re-shoed and fed back at its small stable._ **

**_Running to her training grounds in an open field east of the village, Mekareh wondered why Kyouran had gone three weeks without returning instead of one. She absently played with the charm bracelet held snugly around her wrist as she cleared a small brook and traversed the roots of ancestral trees. Reaching the somewhat bare meadow, she pushed past the few brushes of tall grass before tripping over a very heavy metal object._ **

**_"Her armor— and sword," Mekareh noticed the path that led from both objects further up the meadow and followed the trail. Wandering, she found that just beyond most of the coarse hay of the meadow, there was a flatter plateau beneath a tall majestic willow. The plateau overlooked the great forbidden forest and long distant mountain ranges under the bright clouded sky._ **

**" _Wandered pretty far, kid," Mekareh yelped in surprise and shot her gaze up to the willow, where she finally noticed a casually perched Kyouran on a high branch looking down on her, one leg dangling over the side of the branch with her back resting against the cool corpulent trunk._**

**" _You finally came back!" chirped happily the bright-eyed girl. "I was beginning to think that you got lost."_**

**_Huffing with veiled amusement, the demon priestess warrior leapt from the tree and landed in front of her pint-sized friend. "Ended up having to make a detour and wiping out a nest. Took a week off and rested at Sumeragi Saiga-sama's compound in the far off province," she stated apathetically before sitting in the lotus position under the cool shade provided by the willow._ **

**" _That's high priestess' brother, right?" Kyouran nodded in affirmation. "Is he nice, or do you dislike him like you do the high priestess?"_**

**_Crossing her arms and resting against the trunk, Kyouran answered stoically, "He's not pretentious and weak like the old woman. I can stand him."_ **

**" _Oh." Mekareh's demeanor sobered considerably as she sat in the shade as well. "How was the North?" she inquired carefully as to not annoy her with constant questions._**

**_Kyouran closed her eyes as a breeze swept by. "Freezing."_ **

**_A long pause reigned before Mekareh meekly asked, "Did you go back to the market before you left?"_ **

**" _Hmph, yes. As usual, Korokawua barely made the deadline. After the old fool stopped quivering and giving excuses, I had to deal with that odd Haku…" Kyouran trailed off before she looked away nonchalantly._**

**_This topic brought a fun gleam to Mekareh's face. "Yeah? Did he ask you out?" she laughed child-like and smiled when Kyouran couldn't stifle the slight tint on her cheeks._ **

**" _That stupid human! First he insisted on giving me a bunch of those prickly flowers, then he didn't want to accept payment, even while the old man was pounding his fist against the top of his head, and he had the audacity to…" Kyouran broke off with a biting sneer that showed off her fangs._**

**" _WHAT?!" piped Mekareh, bringing her knees up to her chest._**

**"… _he pressed his disgusting lips against my cheek!" The meadow echoed with child-like giggles as Mekareh fell to her back, holding her sides from the laughter._**

**" _He kissed you! Heeeheeehee!" she squealed out, trying to stifle her giggles after getting a menacing glance from the infamous warrior. "What did you do after he kissed you?"_**

**"… _I don't know how that fool could've survived the collision with a support and the sidewall, but even after that he still had that stupid smirk of his." Kyouran growled under her breath and bit back the scowl from her features._**

**" _Was anyone else mean to you?" The question snapped her gaze back to the usually brilliant gleaming eyes of her friend._**

**_After a pause, she sighed softly. "Mekareh, you don't have to tag along wherever I go. Humans are mindless and fearful. They hate what they fear, and can't understand that which is always around them. They fear me, so I don't expect much from them," she paused as she watched a butterfly flutter lazily by. "Cattle are to be herded from those that feed on them. They resent it, but cling to it at the same time, because that is their nature. You are young, so you don't see it, but you felt it that day at the market. If you weren't you father's spawn, then you would be alienated for being around me, and not fearing me as they do."_ **

**_Mekareh gulped and lowered her gaze. "But you say you're supposed to protect humans, even when you hate us and don't want to," she paused, wringing the hem of her robe as she added, "so why do you? And why do you let some people die if they get caught in the middle?"_ **

**_Kyouran's gaze became colder than what she was used to. "I never said I would protect every single human from being dispensed," her crimson eyes held back a fluid ire that only the pulsing garnet stone of her necklace indicated fully. "Only that I would prevent the human race from perpetual slaughter."_ **

**_"But to do that you have to protect every human," remarked Mekareh._ **

**"… _I choose not to."_**

**_"Then…you chose to save me just because it was your own choice to?"_ **

**_Kyouran's eyes were blank and wide from the question. Tracing the facets of the garnet pendant resting over her chest, she shut her eyes and let a light chuckle warm her demeanor. "I chose to save you because you were the little girl that always played on the bridge alone," Mekareh's eyes held confusion. "I thought it was amusing that you were going to end up drowning at the bottom of the river after you had been its companion since I can remember my child stage."_ **

**_Mekareh's eyes grew cheerful as she gave her child-like laugh. "I keep forgetting I'm older than you," she chirped and added, "we could've played hide and seek when you were still little, but I never knew you were around, heehee!"_ **

**_Kyouran snickered. "I thought you were weird. You always talked to yourself like some goof," was her cool remark._ **

**_Mekareh laughed some more. "We could always play hide and seek now! You could be it!"_ **

**_Kyouran raised an eyebrow and shook her head sardonically. "I really don't think so, kid. At least not today…"_ **

* * *

 

**Her eyes fluttered open, the bright marble dome ceiling coming into focus. She felt the cold chill of the tile floor under her and the familiar weight of the pendant resting over her chest; heard the melancholic end of the song that played on the boombox at her right as the dull pulsing of the pendant died away into dormancy.**

**Sitting up, the searing stinging pain from her left leg flashed in her conscious, making her wince internally. "Jeez _—_  still hasn't healed," she muttered to herself as she parted her torn pant-leg to survey the deep slash that ran from her lower shin all the way up to just under her knee. No blood flowed from the deep wound, but it did cut and expose the sensitive layer just under her skin.**

**As she tentatively pressed the swollen skin on the sides of the wound, she heard the familiar flutter of a cape to her left, and covered the wound again with the pant-leg. She firmly clenched her jaw and trained her expression to show no discomfort as she glanced over at the imposing Z Warrior.**

**"You've been quiet for a while _—_  came to see if you were still alive," he remarked in his low tone and stepped closer to her, his intense gaze looming over her.**

**"I could say the same for you," she paused and said, "I've just been resting."**

**"Hn," grunted Piccolo. After contemplating her for some seconds, he lowered to sit next to her, making her raise a delicate brow at him. "How does your leg feel?" he asked stoically after glancing at her torn pant-leg, then looked back toward her eyes.**

**"It's fine. Just need to lay off it a little while," she stated coolly, her gaze never faltering from his.**

**After a long pause, Piccolo's next remark came out almost as a whisper to her. "I don't believe you." His eyes were dark from her vantage point, but his expression held tightly to his cool composure.**

**Her features betrayed surprise before she could hide it. "I said it's fine," she reiterated tersely.**

**"Then I'll take a look at it and see for myself," he remarked and leaned over to pull the torn pant-leg away, when her hand deftly gripped his large, red-seamed wrist.**

**"Don't."**

**Piccolo looked into her forced apathetic expression, capturing her brown orbs in his heated graphite ones. Pulling his wrist from her hand, he pulled the pant-leg away, ignoring her bravado of calmness. His features composed after seeing the extent of her wound, he looked back at her, his eyes unreadable.**

**"Why didn't you say something. This hasn't even started to heal," Piccolo asked in his deep tone, apathy still masking his demeanor.**

**Sofia looked away as she sighed. "It'll heal eventually. You don't have to keep tabs on me like that," she remarked dejectedly, feeling his gaze glance away from her for a moment before it intensified again.**

**'Don't let her push it aside that way. Show her that you care,' Nail instructed prudently, getting Piccolo to narrow his eyes at Sofia and brace his hand on the floor so he could lower his face closer to hers.**

**"Why do you always have to be a pain in the ass!?" Piccolo heard the loud disapproving scoff from his counterpart, so he added, "If you're badly injured you shouldn't hide it."**

**Sofia gave him a side long glance, before she lowered her gaze to her wound. "It takes longer to heal cuz it's an energy wound; not a big deal _—_ " Sofia got cut off when a strong hand grabbed her chin and pulled her to look back at him.**

**The usual gruff baritone of his voice was softer, but still very commanding, "Tell me." Her brown eyes showed confusion when his deep graphite orbs softened after the awkward silence. "Tell me why you hide yourself…when you're around me," his statement was more of a subtle order.**

**Sofia's eyes widened at the statement. Parting her lips to speak, she found that she didn't know what to answer. She felt uncomfortable all of a sudden and couldn't hold his gaze as she muttered, "I don't know what you mean."**

**Growling in mounting frustration, Piccolo remarked, "Yes you do! You can't even look me in the eye when you talk to me," he paused when her eyes wandered back to him. "You show an exaggerated amount of emotion for the most idiotic things, but when it really counts, you don't. You hide it from me _—_  why don't you just quit being tough and just show what you feel!" he stated gruffly.**

**After a terse silence, Sofia snapped, "Why don't you?!"**

**"…"**   **Piccolo internally recoiled from the remark as he narrowed his eyes.**

**"What's the sense of always complaining when one gets hurt, or crying. No one is entitled to knowing about it just because it would make _them_  feel better. And how can you sit here and lecture me about how I should handle my emotions when you've never figured out how to do it with yourself!" she couldn't suppress the sneer that flashed her new fangs. Piccolo actually pulled away at the intensity of her words, making Sofia realize she had to take back her control. Calming her demeanor, she huffed a sigh and let the fluid pulsing of the garnet stone die back before muttering softly, "You can be such a hypocrite sometimes…the truth is, I envy your control. I wish I could hold all of it away…like you. Then it wouldn't hurt so much," her soft monotone did nothing to repress the emotion her deep brown orbs held as their gazes connected.**

**Instead of taking offense or getting angered by her words, Piccolo found this gravity with them…with her.**

**The boombox was barely audible to them as they held each other in a searing gaze. The powerful strumming of an acoustic guitar dully echoed in the dome-shaped room as they couldn't find words to address what they both sensed.**

I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away  
I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

**After feeling a pang of regret from her words, Sofia finally noticed his slowly healing gash. She raised her fingertips to his cheek. He stiffened slightly when her cold fingertips gently traced his now shallow cut. "…you didn't even flinch. You don't even feel pain anymore, do you?" her voice was low, as if she was whispering to herself in reference to the earlier spar.**

**Piccolo's ears twitched from her comment, his frown unmasked as he lightly gripped her hand and pulled her curious fingers from exploring his cheek.**

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away  
You've gone away, you don't feel me, anymore

**"It stings when you do that," he replied in his deep tone. Sofia felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest as she realized she had said that out loud, and pulled her hand from his, embarrassed. Piccolo sighed to himself as he grumbled, "I've been around humans for so long that I've become used to them overloading their emotions on me, hmph!" _…you didn't even flinch. You don't even feel pain anymore, do you?_  he paused when her words crossed his conscious. "It _—_ " he paused. "There is no being that is immune to feeling pain…Sofia," he remarked almost quietly, then gulped from the uncomfortable feeling that surrounded them both.**

The worst is over now and we can breathe again  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away  
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

**The words of the melodic ballad echoed feelings that neither could release from their parted lips. The lovers of the song sang for them, role-playing an existence of solitude and isolation that could only be cured by the other's presence.**

**"I would rather feel nothing, than feel pain," Sofia divulged in a soft, vulnerable tone. His warm fingertips grazed her cheekbone and ear as he combed long, rouge strands from her face, startling her to drown in his dark, mirroring eyes.**

**They absently leaned closer to each other, the side of her lithe arm grazed his muscular ribbed and pink-patched one.**

**"That's…what I've always wanted too," Piccolo muttered in a hushed, but commanding heavy tone.**

**A long pause came as they realized how physically close they were, and how warm their breaths felt on their faces. The moistness of their breathing allowed their dry and chapped lips to revert to their usual softness as they both read the other's delicate features.**

**Flags went up in Piccolo's mind to what was happening, but he found himself ignoring them as he leaned closer. Sofia's mind was too hazed with awe to notice she was also leaning in close. His rugged, musky scent clung to him, the soft smell of her hair that he secretly liked wafted closer as well.**

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

**Their breathing hitched as their lips brushed almost tenderly, and caught in their throats as they pressed together and turned into a mutually-alluring kiss. Her body slacked after her eyelids fluttered closed, surrendering to the rushing in her chest, as his body tensed from the enigmatic quandary of being attracted to the intimate gesture instead of being repelled. Ignoring the continual disapproving of his mind, he let his own eyelids drift closed and focused on the sensation of her luscious lips pressing against his.**

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

**The powerful rhythm of the electric and acoustic guitar and drums suffused with the uplifting and equally fetching cries of the violin accompaniment spoke volumes that they could never willingly admit to each other.**

**Drowning in the sensations, Sofia gasped, parting her lips in mid-kiss. Confused, Piccolo parted his lips as well. Unintentionally assuming meaning to his gesture, Sofia deepened the kiss, making his grunt of surprise catch dryly in his throat.**

**_OHHOLYBEINGOFHEAVEN—WE'RE-MAKINGOUT!_ ** **Sofia's heart leapt in her chest as she absently continued intensifying the kiss by slipping her tongue past his gasping lips.**

**A hidden instinct came upon him as he found himself battling with his own warm tongue against her curious exploring one.**

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away  
You've gone away  
You don't feel me here anymore…

**The ending of the song resounded almost wistfully from the echo of the chamber before fading into silence. The sound of the heated make-out session took its place, as both he and she traced the details of their warm mouths and traveled dangerously over pointed teeth. Finding the absence of the music behind the dull rushing of their frenzied pulses, they began to regain whatever shred of composure that still clung around them and realize the magnitude of what was happening.**

**Snapping his eyes open while hers became half-lidded, they pressed their lips closed. The tip of their noses subtly brushed as he cautiously pulled back while she reluctantly did the same.**

**Immediately, a flood of awkwardness came over them, hindering even their gazes towards each other. Sofia bit her lip, but couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. _It was so…_  She felt a swooning session coming, so she shook her head and dug her nails into her palm as she meekly glanced over at Piccolo.**

**Piccolo looked like he was in silent conflict with himself, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Sofia couldn't help her glancing turn into full staring as her mind reverted to her infatuation for him.**

**Still somewhat mortified, Piccolo stammered telepathically, 'What-what did we-did-what'd we just-whatta hell was that!?'**

**A short pause passed before he got a very humored reply. 'I believe you two just had a profuse kissing session, Piccolo. I think it's called 'making-out', and if I had to make an "uneducated" guess, you enjoyed it,' Nail remarked with an undertone of amusement.**

**'WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP ME? With all the nagging you do, you chose to not make a sound!' Piccolo roared at his counterpart.**

**Unfazed, Nail hummed coyly, 'Well, you chose to ignore your own stubbornness for the first time in your entire existence, so I assumed I'd let you follow through on it,' Nail mused. 'Besides, I'm sure she enjoyed it as well,' he added, snapping Piccolo back to the fact that he was still sitting next to her, and that she hadn't said a word.**

**When he looked back at her, she was sitting up on her knees _—_  her wound healed quickly during their intimate moment _—_  facing him with a conflicting expression.**

**Feeling the weight of her odd gaze over him, he sat straight from his leaning position, into the lotus position. Shifting his gaze uncomfortably from her to the floor, he tersely asked, "What?"**

**Stifling her blush, she muttered, "I guessed right," when he cocked a brow ridge, she added, "you are a great kisser."**

**His eyes widening a fraction, he awkwardly tugged on his cape collar and rubbed the back of his neck as he stared off to the side, not knowing how to respond to such a compliment.**

**"Well, uh _—_ you're good with your tongue," he blurted out. Sofia's dumbstruck look said it all. "I mean _—_ uh, I didn't know that that's how one goes about kissing," he stated to cover up the flub, but only got Sofia to put on a mock-hurt look. "Grr _—_ I mean your tongue in my mouth just surpri _—_ " he was swiftly cut off as Sofia pounced on him, and kissed him fully on the lips, almost knocking him back if he hadn't leaned back on his arms.**

**Piccolo grunted into the kiss, his eyes practically bulging out of his sockets at how intently she kissed him.**

**After seconds into the kiss, Sofia pulled away, a mischievous gleam dancing in her eyes that was accompanied by a coy grin. "You're too yummy when you stammer like that," she remarked seductively. Piccolo was too shocked by her vivacious move to reply. "And with the tongue thing, you french-kissed me back, so we're even with the surprise there," she remarked with a playful undertone as she pinched one of the folds of cape on a shoulder pad, adding, "and the best part of kissing is that like fighting, practice and training are the only things that'll make you an expert at it." _As well as with other activities…_**

**Slowly regaining his composure, Piccolo put on his snide scowl as he said, "What makes you think I'll ever do that again, let alone let you pounce on me for a kiss?!"**

**"The fact that you went through the aggravation of fumbling awkwardly to compliment me back is enough indication that you wouldn't mind doing it again," she smirked coolly, adding, "not to mention the fact that you leaned in for the kiss, and even if you wanted to argue that you didn't, _you kissed me with as much avidness as I kissed you_."**

**Scowling deeply, Piccolo grunted gruffly and pushed her away so he could stand.**

**Looming over her, he remarked with forced disdain _—_  which Sofia noticed, "I doubt it, kid! I'm here for one thing, and it's not to be some wishy-washy sentimental jerk that's only objective is to suck face." He crossed his arms, huffing through his nose as he gave her an intense stare, "the only training that you have to worry about is out in the void, not my lips."**

**Sofia had to bite her tongue not to laugh, managing to only snicker as she pictured the kind of training she wouldn't mind putting him through.**

**Regaining his drawn apathetic semblance, he turned towards the doorway. "We're done for the day. Get some rest. From now on, we only get more serious," he stated sternly. Before stepping out to the main room, he glanced back at her over a padded shoulder. "I'll be training on my side, and I expect not to be interrupted until I come for you 'tomorrow', got it?" he barked sternly, turned and stepped through the dimensional line.**

**She sensed him step out pass the pillared entrance and shoot off away from the palace. Assured of her solitude, Sofia stood, calmly walked over to her bed _—_  after inspecting her healed and unscarred wound _—_  and threw herself over the disheveled comforter, burying her face in her plump pillow.**

**Proceeding to squeal like a maddened prepubescent fangirl, she gripped the pillow as she shouted every single lewd and provocative thing she could think of that either pegged her Namek sensei or a specific region of his anatomy, including one that failed to exist as part of his lust-inducing physique.**

**"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE MADE OUT!" she shouted in a octave higher than her mid-tenor timbre was used to as she hopped up and jumped on her bed, squeezing the pillow in a death-grip against her chest. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"**

**Deciding that not even having 100 tranquilizer darts shot at her could induce sleep after such a mile stone in her entire life _—_  even including that of her past life's, Sofia tossed the pillow down and hopped off the bed, speeding out pass the purple drapes and through the archway out to her side of the void where she spent the rest of the 'night' bouncing around like a gymnast on speed, performing every single fighting style and back-flipping into the air as she'd change up her technique shouting in an uncharacteristic and carefree frenzy, until Piccolo found her sound asleep against one of the Time Chamber hourglasses that flanked the side just adjacent to the outer entrance to her room, hours later after not finding her in her quarters.**

**He couldn't help but snort at how the only time serenity reigned around him was when she was knocked out. Taking her into his arms, he returned to her room and placed her in her bed, even going as far of doing her the favor of taking her sneakers off _—_ tossing them over his shoulder _—_  and throwing the comforter over her.**

**He stood over her slumbering form, contemplating how peaceful she looked. Watching her curl up under the bedding and cling to her pillow with a sleepy smile, Piccolo's conscious flashed to when she kissed him.**

**He grunted despite himself, shaking his head with a rare smirk as he left her bed-side and walked to the doorway.**

**Rumbling a wordless sigh, Piccolo stopped between the threshold. He looked back at her. She turned on her side and curled back up, sighing in her sleep.**

**"Hm…I guess I wouldn't mind doing that again, kid. Not that I'd ever admit it to you if you weren't unconscious," he remarked in a rugged tone, snickered, and stepped out.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song lyrics included in this chapter is "Broken" sung by the lead singer of Seether and the lead singer of Evanescence, off the Seether Disclaimer II album, and it can also be found on the Punisher film soundtrack.
> 
> Japanese terms:  
> Hai - Yeah  
> Oi - Hey  
> Sake - Japanese alcohol


	10. Lust gone Bust

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_ "**Other Language **" " _Reading out loud_ "**

**The energy collision rippled violently even after she hit the ghostly weighted ground. Staring up as the shockwaves dissipated to flurrying flashes, she relaxed the tension in her back to make it easier for her to inhale hearty breaths of air. After the sonic booms roared to dullness, a sense of tranquility reigned in the white endlessness. Her half lidded eyes snapped open as she regained her breath and the fluctuating of the atmosphere settled into calmness.**

**Sitting up as if magically resurrected, Sofia scratched the back of her neck and chirped, "Wow, did I win?" Her body froze stiffly and her face paled as her eyes connected with the murderous onyx death threat she was receiving from her sensei. Piccolo sat rigidly on the chamber floor a half mile from her, his usually apathetic semblance sculpted into a mask of rancor, with a glare as cold as ice to match. His tattered cape snaked flatly on either side of him, his gi scorched from the dodging of ki blasts and the part of a bandage woven around his turban had gotten undone and now hung dejectedly by the side of his face. His fierce malice-filled stare did not let up as he swiftly stood to his impending height, and began to stalk over to her, his fists bawled up and his jaw set.**

**Snapping to attention, Sofia scrambled up from the pale ground and fortified her outer resolve as Piccolo came to glower down at her. Lowering to accommodate her still shorter stature, Piccolo bore his dark depths into her surprised spheres.**

**"No! You didn't win," he spat contemptuously, "neither of us did. Big surprise there!"**

**Piccolo had hit the roof of his level of patience this time. _WEEKS!_  For now innumerable weeks since they had stepped into the chamber, they had both trained on the edge of muscle deterioration, and both still were struggling to beat the other in their daily spar match, just to end up in a draw. Piccolo absently started grinding his teeth at the reminder that he was so anxious for change that he would've been content to lose to her,  _HER_ , the smart-mouthed, foul-mouthed bane of his existence! To make today even more vexing to him was the fact that she seemed to not be as vexed by it as him. As a matter of fact, she had even become more brazen over the past weeks, her flirtation pushed to a level that Piccolo found purple-in-the-face embarrassing. Needless to say he had started regretting that kiss…**

**Her resolve springing back to its usual cool air, Sofia snapped Piccolo out of his brooding by grabbing part of his tattered cape to wipe the sweat off her face. "No need to get all sulky and grumpy about it, Piccolo. You'll always have tomorrow to kick me around again, and who knows, maybe you'll finally get me to touch the floor first," she chimed in a sardonically smooth tone.**

**Piccolo's glare intensified as he snatched his cape out of her grasp and slapped it behind him. "Who says you're done for the day, brat?! It seems to me that you could use some more _training,_ " he ground out, eyes narrowed as he grabbed her by the forearm, spun her in direction of the chamber palace, and literally dragged her behind him as he stalked in a stomping pace to the golden-domed edifice. **

**His short-lived satisfaction fluttered back to brooding surliness as they came feet from the pillared entrance and he let her forearm go with repressed disdain. "You're gonna do a hundred laps around the palace. You are to count off each lap as soon as you pass the last pillar of the entrance," he tersely instructed as he glowered down at her. "And after you finish that, you're gonna do a thousand push ups in front of these steps," he crossed his arms, adding snidely, "and don't think you can pull a Son on me and do something else while I train," he nodded his head over to the east of the palace, "I'll be exercising right over there, and I _will_  make sure that you're doing what I've told you to."**

**Sofia took her nonchalant cross-armed stance, tossing her hair out of her face to cascade down her back. The shredded hem of her shirt rode up her now lithe abdomen, her improvised jean shorts hung on her hips and were ragged from the wear of the past weeks, and her battered sneakers were in dire need of duct tape. Raising a delicate eyebrow up at her sensei, she clicked her tongue against her teeth and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, Piccolo-sensei, whatever you say. Did you want standard or one handed push-ups?" she remarked coyly, cocking her head to the side to glance up at him.**

**With a pulsing vein coming to life on his temple, Piccolo answered her wise remark by glaring down at her and by showily and audibly punching his fist into his palm, cracking his knuckles. "Surprise me, kid," he barked out, his tone dripping with acid.**

**Sofia gave him a challenging lopsided smirk. "I intend to, Green Bean," she mused tactfully, turned away from him and started jogging off to turn the corner of one of the chamber hourglasses. Before she disappeared behind the marble edifice, she gave Piccolo a heated glance and blew him a kiss.**

**Piccolo's temples were throbbing from his anger, his cheeks heating from the slight blush tinting them. He shook his head and growled in exasperation, then turned on his heel and stalked agitatedly to where he could exercise and keep watch of her. He was really losing his temper around her more often than ever, and feeling more self-conscious about having her so close to him. Her flirtation aside, she overwhelmed him with her assertiveness and her sneak-attack kisses! Nail once compared it to being like when a human male child just discovers that his female playmate likes him and experiments with kissing, but he _wasn't_ a human child…and she was no little girl. Not to mention that  _she_ was the one always kissing  _him_! It's not like he encouraged it by being the aggressor and cornering her for a session of tonsil hockey. His annoyance was boiling over around her, and so was his embarrassment.**

**Grunting, he brushed his distracting thoughts aside and kicked into his exercises, absently glancing over whenever Sofia counted off a lap and turned along the back corner of the palace.**

**"…Should've never kissed her back, dammit…!"**

* * *

 

**"Eighty seven!" she counted off as she passed the last pillar, sweat clinging in a thin sheet on her forehead and temples. She was pleasantly happy with her stamina today. _Ki training, a two hour spar session, and now a hundred laps that I'm almost done with after 20 minutes,_  she smiled meekly as she glanced over at Piccolo, whose intense gaze bore into her as he changed up from a set of five thousand three-finger push ups to standard ten thousand push ups. Her pulse skipped and her heart did summersaults in her chest as she looked away and sprinted around the back of the building. It had been a good few weeks since they had their first kiss,  _or was it months?_  She sighed happily, not caring or keeping count anymore. Her mind was preoccupied with swooning, training, and finding ways to kiss Piccolo. Sure it had become more of a challenge to tease and annoy him during training, but the ultimate pay off was kissing those great lips of his and seeing his bashful and embarrassed streak of blush light up his emerald features with deep violet and the tantrum he'd throw before stomping out to train by himself. She knew he liked every kiss, even though he never took the initiative of kissing her first.**

**She sighed pensively as she came to the last pillar again, too distracted to count off. _Sure he must be pissy because he hasn't won any of the spars, and I'm a little annoyed with it coming out in a draw too, but I've greatly improved, and so has he, that's what's important._ She hummed distractedly as she once again passed the pillar and didn't count off.  _I am pretty exhausted from it all, but I wouldn't change this for the world…maybe make him drop the_ a _and become_ sexual _, but just being around him makes me wanna grin like a doofus._ She wiped the sweat from her brow and snapped her rogue bang behind her ear.  _God he's such a great kisser…_**

**"HEY! Pay attention, will yah!? You already did the laps you needed to do. Quit day dreaming and get to the push ups," Piccolo hollered at her as he pulled his weighted gear off and went back to his exercises. Sofia almost tripped on herself to run into the chamber hourglass she was going to pass before she skidded to a halt. She was panting from her exertion, her calves were aching and her thighs were sore from the mad-dash sprint she went into after getting distracted by her thoughts.**

**"Yes sir, sugarlips. Getting to it right now," she sighed out and trudged over to the palace steps, not realizing that she had spoken her new nickname for him.**

**"What did you call me?!" he barked over at her, his gaze snapping to her as she jumped and clamped her mouth shut. She blushed furiously and couldn't meet his heated glare, and began laughing nervously.**

**"Uh _—_ Nothing! I said I was getting to the push ups now, what else would I say?" she tried to cover up and put her hands behind her back, crossing her fingers in hope that he'd buy it.  _Jeez, those satellites he calls ears could pick up my brain farting if he strained enough!_**

**Piccolo wasn't convinced in the least. Standing in his cross-armed stance, he grunted as he glared over to her. "Sofia, get over here. NOW!" he shouted in restrained exasperation, emphasizing his command by gesturing and pointing down to the ground in front of him where he wanted her to stand. Suppressing her flinch from his shouted command, she rolled her shoulders back and fortified her temerity as she strode over to stand in front of her aggravated Namekian hunk. After drilling his gaze on her and dragging his glare up and down her body, Piccolo huffed and looked away, his abrupt action causing his exposed antennae to vacillate. Sofia couldn't help internally swoon at him for his gorgeous visage, the thought of tackling him to the floor and teasing his antennae crossed her mind more than once. "I'm starting to think that you enjoy demeaning me, kid," his rogue remark caught her off guard, causing her to self-consciously narrow her eyes and cross her arms.**

**"Whatta hell would give you that idea? I only tease you in fun, not _—_ " she was cut off as Piccolo looked back down at her, his expression unreadable.**

**"I've told you before to stop saying all that smut to me. The name calling is one thing, but those demeaning nicknames are completely grossing me out! I mean, why the hell must you call me "sugarlips" when I obviously don't have lips made out of sugar!" he snapped in a sullen tone and crossed his arms irritably, his scowl resembling more of a pout to her as his brow knitted together in a conflicting expression and his intense gaze set on hers.**

**"…because you're lips are just as sweet as sugar, DURR!" she barked out in laughter, her chuckling turning into loud cackles that would've made Vegeta sneer. Just as Piccolo's patience snapped and he opened his mouth to yell at her, Sofia threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, slamming his scolding down his throat and making him yelp in surprise. Pulling his neck free of her grip, he pulled back from the kiss and snarled at her. Sofia dropped to her feet and continued to cackle, her laughs ragged from the kiss. "That nickname is a compliment, you naïve Green Bean. Even when I'm the one that kisses you it's your lips that entice me. They're just good enough to nibble on," she mused in between giggles, making Piccolo sweatdrop and grunt in mounting frustration.**

**"I don't _want_  any of your perverted compliments, dammit! I told you already that I'm not here to be your perverted infatuation, let alone your 'french-kissing' partner," he vehemently shouted at her. "Whatever stupid girlish attraction you have with me needs to stop now, or I'm cutting your training off and you'll have to figure it out for yourself, understand!?"**

**Sobering, Sofia's gaze turned dark as she muttered coldly, "You won't do that unless you don't give a fuck about what I know of the future, Namek. The only reason you agreed to coming along with me to train in here was because you have a stake in what I know, so your idle threats are really wasted upon me!"**

**Piccolo simply crossed his arms, and actually gave her a smug smirk as he remarked condescendingly, "Now who's being naïve, brat. Who the hell said I tagged along because of that? I couldn't care less about your 'privy' insight, and I've done just fine before you stuck your nose where it didn't belong. I came here to train, and train only for when all hell breaks lose _—_ "**

**"Which you wouldn't've known shit about if I hadn't told you! As a matter of fact, if I hadn't stuck my nose where it didn't belong, you would be flat on your ass meditating somewhere, clueless about it until Frieza's ki signature came up to bite you in the ass!" she snapped vehemently. Piccolo's expression of rage was poignantly topped off by the fact that she was right. They both stood their ground, their raging auras sizzling around their frames. After an intense stare down that was going nowhere fast, Sofia huffed and crossed her arms, her aggravation seeping back into herself. "Let's make a deal. From now on, we stop threatening each other…its stupid," she muttered as she glanced haughtily off to the side.**

**Piccolo crossed his own arms tighter, his aura backing down, also looking away with a dejected air. "Fine, but you have to stop with the nicknames," he muttered tersely, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.**

**Sofia scoffed lightly. "I'll try, but no guarantees on that," she remarked truthfully, her mood returning to its coolness. "You _could_ always make up nicknames for me, you know," she mockingly purred and poked his chest in a light-hearted manner. Piccolo wrinkled his nose.**

**"Fine. How 'bout, 'P.I.T.A.'?" he remarked with a coyness she didn't pick up.**

**"Oh? What's that mean?" she cocked an eyebrow and glanced at him with avid curiosity.**

**"Pain In The Ass." Sofia glowered at him. "I think it suits you perfectly. Not to mention it won't be hard for me to address you," he snorted with arrogant amusement.**

**Sofia tried to glare at him seriously, but the amusement of his remark was too much for her to ignore. Smiling the way someone does when sizing their opponent up, Sofia turned on her heel, giving her back to Piccolo. "Touché Namek, but I might not need your training after all, seeing as I have twice as much stamina and drive than you," she mused tactfully and looked back at him over her shoulder.**

**The scowl returning to his features, Piccolo humphed. "All you got that has more stamina than me is your smart mouth, kid. The only thing impressive about your progress is that you're still standing. Be grateful I haven't broken you down _—_ "**

**"Not like you haven't tried, right?" she interjected smoothly, turning back to semi-face him. "I bet I could last twice as long than you at any of your little jazzercises."**

**Piccolo's jaw clenched and unclenched as he tried to keep hold of his temper. "I'll take that challenge on right now," he growled darkly, his eyes narrowing. "Right now, those push ups you're gonna do, they just doubled, and I _do_ have a preference for the style."**

**"You're on, Piccolo. And I assume you'll be angstily glaring at me from the sidelines?" she condescended to him as she ran her fingers through her bangs to comb them back.**

**Piccolo's narrowed onyx orbs flickered with something wicked as he gruffly stated, "No, I'll be under you for this little competition."**

**Sofia's eyes shrank to pinpoints as she face-faulted to the floor.**

* * *

 

**"Would you balance out your weight and stay fucking still already? Your jerking around is throwing my counting off," Piccolo growled in mounting agitation over his shoulder as he paused in mid push up.**

**Sofia dug her fingers into his back through his plum gi shirt, gritting her teeth from the exertion and insane amount of coordination she was trying to muster in order to keep herself balanced in the handstand she was performing on his back. Piccolo's back was like marble, only coming alive whenever he pushed up and lowered down on his arms. "I will when you square your freaking shoulders and flatten your back out more, dammit! Your half-assed push-ups are throwing my equilibrium off; can't get one push up in," she snapped back as she attempted to perform the handstand push ups he had ordered her to complete, but swayed slightly back. Setting her jaw, she pulled her legs to balance herself straight on her hands, fortifying her handstand more. _GRR! When he said he'd be below me, I didn't expect this type of workout,_ she seethed in her mind.**

**They had switched over to her side of the chamber, and were several yards away from the curtain-draped entrance to her private quarters of the palace.**

**Widening the breath of his arms, Piccolo lowered close to the ground and squared his shoulders, allowing his broad back to flatten a little more. This elaboration of his push-up position brought more of his and her weight to press down on the spot between his shoulder blades, making it all the more challenging to push himself back up and lower down into the push up. "There. Last I counted, I was at 1,100 push ups, and you've only done less than half of that. Not living up to your own hype, kid," Piccolo condescended over his shoulder at her as he pushed up and down, not even breaking a sweat. Sofia forced her arms up and lowered them back down in a jerky move, her shoulder blades feeling like they could give way and strain her back. Glad to have gotten the detriment of her hair pulled back into its standard bun so as to prevent tripping her up or matting to her sweaty features and her necklace tucked snugly under her shirt so it wouldn't smack her in the face with each movement, she rasped hearty guzzles of air in and out. Growling at his condescending remark, she shut her eyes and focused on pushing her arms up and lowering them down level with her elbows to then repeat the process about a thousand and a half times over.**

**Growling at the possibility of having to deal with a snooty Piccolo later on, Sofia V-shaped her legs to do away with the pendulum effect of Piccolo's movements and her wavering equilibrium. "** No se como carajo Goku y este jodon pueden hacer esta mierda sin sudar! Maldita Sea! **" (I don't know how the hell Goku and this pain in the ass can do this shit without breaking a sweat! Goddamn it!) she ground out in Spanish, the only way she could articulate her aggravation without giving her frustration away to the Namek beneath her handstand.**

**His ear twitching at her turbulent-sounding words, Piccolo cocked a brow ridge. "What did you just say?" he said without pausing his exercise, his tone submerged most of his curiosity and vibrated his back slightly, tickling her flattened palms.**

**Picking up the curiosity he tried to submerge, Sofia smiled despite the aching of her shoulders and upper body, getting more of a hang on the workout. "** Curioso, Piccolo? Pues no seas tan jodon y quizás te lo digo, **" (Curious, Piccolo? Then don't be such a pain in the ass and maybe I'll tell you) she mused playfully to intentionally annoy him and hopefully distract him in his workout so she could get the lead.**

**Pausing abruptly in his push up, Piccolo glowered at her as best as he could from over his shoulder. "If you're saying any smart-mouthed remarks about me in that language of yours, I'll backhand you," he stated icily, his nose wrinkling in disdain and his antennae vacillating from him having to hold his position and talk at the same time.**

**"Heh, now you know how it feels when you start muttering in Namekian to yourself," she grunted in between her workout. "You look and sound like an old fart who needs his medication," she mumbled humorously, mentally counting off 1,131, leading her sensei by one push up. "Sometimes I dunno whether to poke you with a stick or kiss you."**

**Piccolo's expression became smug and calculating as he watched her rise up and down in her handstand. "Now that I _let_ you catch up, work on getting your bearings right so you can stop swaying like a branch in the breeze," he tactfully stated and went back to his own repertoire.**

**Sofia blinked at him and paused in her handstand. "Oh Piccolo, you're such a sweetheart, thinking of lil' ol' me," she batted her eyes goofily at him when he scowled back at her.**

**"Quit messing around! I'm not surprised that you haven't figured out the secret to that stance of push ups _—_ "**

**"The whole channeling your ki to balance out the rest of your body? I got that after the 50th push up. Can't sense my ki, remember?" she mocked, her expression as cool as her tone. She could feel Piccolo's back tense from his boiling temper, his shoulder blades gliding back and forth vigorously under his thick, leather-like skin as he growled and vehemently continued pushing his arms up and down, not caring about accommodating her any longer.**

**"I heard my name during your yammering. I want to know what you were spouting off about," he stated in his trademark commanding low tone, not even short of breath.**

**Smirking mischievously, Sofia slid her palms to allow the breath of her arms to widen. "I was just saying how after I win this workout challenge my prize could be giving you a full-body massage followed by a warm bath together, and that could be accompanied by a fierce make out sess _—_ ACK!" she was cut off as Piccolo flinched from embarrassment and suddenly jerked his position to the side, throwing Sofia off balance, causing her to tumble out of the handstand, and sending her crashing on top of him.**

**"OOF!" They both gasped as their bodies collided together and with the cold chamber floor. Piccolo had ended up on his back after leaning and losing his balance, with Sofia splayed back-first against his chest, her hair mussed after coming loose from its tie.**

**Piccolo registered how physically close they were, how good her hair smelled as it brushed the side of his face and tickled his chin; body damp with sweat pressed against his, and he realized for the first time how cool her bare skin was to his. Sofia's eyes were wide and her body was slightly rigid from being pressed so close to his solid form so unexpectedly. Sitting up to try to stifle her embarrassment, she looked back at Piccolo with a tint coloring her tanned features.**

**"Why do we always end up like this," she commented out loud, trying to submerge the pounding of her heart to his acute hearing.**

**"It was your fault…by distracting me," Piccolo muttered without sitting up. Diverting his gaze in conflicting embarrassment, he mumbled. "Get off so I can stand."**

**Snapping back to reality, Sofia came to realize that she was straddling Piccolo's hips and that her rear was positioned in the area where he lacked definition. Her face turning crimson, she fumbled up to her feet, allowing Piccolo to do the same, but more gracefully. After he physically composed his features and put his weighted gear back on _—_ after snapping his fingers and mending them back to their usual look _—_  he couldn't help his curiosity peek at how she could be so perverted in some instances and extremely bashful in others.**

**Shaking his head in a dismissing manner, Piccolo turned his gaze off to the side as he apathetically remarked, "A tie once again… this is getting old." Regaining scraps of her composure, Sofia glanced over at him. "We were both at 1,199 before we came to a draw," he elaborated further without turning his gaze to her.**

**Sofia sighed and lowered her gaze, attracting his gaze back to her as she stated, "If it'll make you feel better, I actually _didn't_  enjoy that exercise regiment of yours."**

**Piccolo snorted dryly. "You'd be a masochist if you did. Training isn't supposed to be fun, or remotely enjoyable. The only pay-off is knowing you've surpassed the goals you've placed for yourself, and if you haven't, then you'll keep working at it until you do," Piccolo sagaciously reasoned, earning a smile from Sofia, a smile he had never seen.**

**"I agree…we both have our own goals we're trying to surpass," she spoke softly, her expression and gaze becoming gentle and almost soothing. Only one other person had ever graced him with such fondness.**

**Grunting, Piccolo turned to face her. "So another spar session wouldn't be a problem, seeing as we both need to surpass each other and neither of us have managed that yet," he stated with a gruff amiableness. "How 'bout it, kid?"**

**Her expression turning cool as marble, Sofia dipped into her unique fighting stance. "Bring it, sugarlips," she charged provocatively with a smirk.**

**Piccolo lowered into his predatory crouching stance, sizing her up with a glare. "Just for that, I'll take my time putting you in your place." With that, he phased behind her and rooted the heel of his palm in her back, sending her stumbling forward.**

**Gaining an opening, Piccolo went to strike her down with a chopping kick to her back, when she whirled around and blocked his kick, allowing her to swipe in and plant her fist in his gut. Bracing his fall, he back-flipped and landed back into his stance as Sofia increased her speed using her ki polarity technique and went into a flurry of punches, jabs, palm hits, kicks, ducks and dodges that Piccolo was equally defending and countering. Both enjoying the rush of the moment, they couldn't help exchange wry smiles and smirks as one dodged or blocked the other's strike.**

**"I still think that style and stance of yours is more detrimental than effective, you know," Piccolo remarked casually as he dodged, swung, and missed a punch.**

**Buffing her hands and swaying out of the way of a roundhouse, Sofia smirked as she pulled into his left and landed a palm hit to his side and then blocked a punch. "Well, I still think you ought to let me give you a massage one of these days and get the tension out of your back, you _—_ oof!" she cut off as she doubled over from a punch to her abdomen.**

**"Stay focused and suck it up! I'm not into sucking face or any of the mating rituals you females subject your males to," he barked scornfully, and decided to add a scoff for the effect of riling her up, "and even if I was, I would never be interested in a weak, unfocused little girl like you."**

**Her expression rigid and blank as if someone dumped a bucket of water on her, Sofia felt her insides burn and her blood roar in her veins at his stinging insult. Baring her fangs at him like a threatened predator, she actually snarled and let her aura flare, all to Piccolo's surprise and awe. Her speed doubled, and her attacks were blind with fury, but by no means unfocused. Her palm hits turned into clawed slashes, her punches aimed not only to go through him, but to tear into him, all of which crackled and charged with her defiant crimson aura, and aggravated the pulsing and flaring of the garnet stone of her pendant that throbbed its glow through her shirt. Piccolo barely got away from her thrusting claws of iron, and was barely able to dodge her frenzied attacks, let alone get a chance to attack back.**

**He had never seen her attack or react in such a way before, and couldn't see how, led only by her rash anger and rage, she could be so brutally focused and keenly precise with estimating his movement when many novice warriors were blinded and led astray by their emotions in battle.**

**Managing to clip her in the side with a jab, Piccolo unknowingly left himself open. Sofia growled, bawling up her fist until she dug her nails deep into her palm and pulled back her arm. "What do I have to do to get your respect you fucking asshole!" she ground between bared fangs and swung her fist at his opening with all her resolve, punching him right in the face. She felt the crunch of cartilage against her knuckles as the punch snapped his head to the side, causing him to stagger slightly back and waver from the blow. The momentum she used for the full-force punch propelled her to trip and land on her knees, her fist throbbing and knuckles smeared with blood, purple blood. Her chest instantly began to ache from the ki exertion and her fury waned and died away as she gasped and huffed hearty breaths of air. The crimson aura sunk and retreated into her, and the pulsing of the pendant settled back into dormancy as she composed herself and began to regain her focus.**

**"Shit…that was a solid punch," Sofia's ragged gaze snapped up to stare at the figure that loomed over her. Piccolo hissed slightly as he cupped his nose in his hand, hiding her handy work from her as he crouched into a sitting position next to her. "You got me good; didn't even see it coming," he stated gruffly, almost too off-handedly as he bit back the painful stinging the blow had actually caused.**

**Sofia fell back from her kneeling position to sit in front of him, the aching in her chest subsiding slightly. She finally noticed the stinging of her fist and realized she had gashed her palm, and that her knuckles were smeared with purple. Her eyes widening, she snapped her attention to Piccolo, who was looking intently off to the side as he tentatively felt the cracked bridge of his nose and absently cupped it.**

**"Jeez, Piccolo, I didn't mean to do that! I'm really sorry. Let me see, maybe I can help," she said with true regret as she sat up towards him and tried to pull his hand away so she could see the damage her punch caused.**

**He flinched, pulling back, and slapped her hand away. "Stop babying me! It's not the first time I break my nose," he tersely scolded, adding, "besides, there's nothing you can do about it when it'll just heal anyway. It's nothing."**

**Feeling incredibly awful for what she did, Sofia leaned closer to him and placed her hand on the one he was using to shield his nose. "Please let me see, Piccolo," she pleaded in a soft, somber tone, her brown orbs gleaming with regret.**

**Scoffing a huff, Piccolo relented and lowered his hand, his semblance stoic and mystifying, even with the discolored bruising on either side of the bridge of his nose, which was slightly crooked and bleeding. His palm was tainted with violet blood and mucus, which he wiped off on his pant thigh and sniffled the runniness that threatened to drip from his injured nose as he wiped most of the blood away with the back of his hand. "See? Not that bad. It'll heal completely in a couple of hours that's _—_ " his casual and gruff remarked was cut short as Sofia pinched the bridge of his nose. The pain shot to his senses. Piccolo grabbed her wrist and squeezed as he growled, "Whatta hell was that for!? I didn't fucking poke your leg when it was slashed open, dammit!"**

**"I just wanted to feel where the break is. Relax!" she argued as she pulled her wrist from his grip. "You need to snap it back into place or it'll stay crooked like that," she stated as she tentatively pressed the sloping area of the nose bridge, making Piccolo growl in annoyance.**

**"I told you it'll heal and that also means it'll snap itself back into place, you twit!" he spat with a sneer as he pushed her hand away so he could stand, but she pulled him back down by his cape collar.**

**"You said it'll take a couple of hours to heal when you could just snap it back into place now and allow it to heal faster, you dunce! Wouldn't it save you the time and pain of it healing if you just let me align it for you now?" she haughtily asked as she sat up on her knees.**

**"I think you've done enough," he stated snidely as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand again. "Besides, if you're so keen on my well being I can damn well snap it back into alignment myself."**

**Sofia huffed. "Stop being such a stubborn bitch and just let me do it! If you do it you'll probably just end up making it worse, especially since you don't have the right perspective of how to straighten it and I do," she chastised and glowered at him.**

**Piccolo scowled and muttered unintelligibly as he crossed his arms, snorting a sniffle as he gave her an intense glare. After a short and tense pause, he relented. "Fine, be quick about it," he muttered tersely and dropped his arms as he squared his shoulders more and straightened his posture, allowing her a better advantage at taking in his facial proportions so she could distinguish how exactly to align his nose.**

**Resting her knees against his tucked legs, she steadied her vantage by placing her palms on both sides of his nose in a closed clap, so her palms acted as splints for his crooked nose. "Alright…you might want to brace yourself," she warned in a slight mumble.**

**Without making any move to do so, Piccolo's dark eyes stared down then back at her. "Just do it," he commanded gruffly.**

**Sofia curtly nodded, "Ok…one, two, three!" at three, she snapped his nose back into perfect alignment _—_  the snap and crunch of cartilage quite audible. Piccolo didn't even flinch, and just pushed her away as he tentatively felt his nose, already feeling substantial relief from the stinging pain. He sniffed noisily and grunted as even that didn't hurt as much as it had.**

**After debating quietly with himself, Piccolo crossed his arms again and focused his graphite gaze on her. He mumbled something under his breath and went to stand, but Sofia once again pulled him back down by his collar.**

**"What was that?" she asked with playfully narrowed eyes.**

**Piccolo's gaze intensified before he clenched his jaw and forcefully stated, " _Thanks_."**

**Sofia's expression softened for a moment, before returning to its cool semblance as she remarked, "You're welcome, you pain in the ass," and leaned close, draping her arms over his heavy and solid shoulders pads, and kissed him on his boyish lips, once again surprising her Namek roommate and infatuation. Pulling back from the kiss, she chuckled softly and wiped his still slightly bloody nose with part of his cape, and remarked in an amused tone, "You are one big fucking asshole, you know that don't you?"**

**Piccolo gave her a stoic look as he remarked apathetically, "Just like you're one annoying foul-tempered bitch."**

**Sofia laughed at that, sneaking one quick peck on his lips before she stood up, allowing him to do the same. Both their injuries beginning to heal, Piccolo sank back into his surly-but-stoic demeanor. "You just can't take a hint, can you," he muttered gruffly as he crossed his arms, causing Sofia to giggle.**

**"Just like you just can't admit you like it, can you," she countered and also crossed her arms.**

**Piccolo grunted, turning away from her. "You're done for the day. Get back to the palace and rest. Tomorrow I'll show you no mercy, so you'll need your strength," he instructed in his deep tone.**

**"Fine. Don't exert yourself too much, or you won't have the advantage against me tomorrow," she remarked with shrouded sincerity in a humorous tone, earning a dry grunt from him in reply.**

**Sofia exhaled softly, pretty exhausted and broken in for the day, and turned to head back to the palace. "Hey." Sofia stopped and looked back at Piccolo, who was still giving his back to her. "You did good today, kid. For all I put you through, you've improved well over time…and you did get my respect way before today," he paused and looked back at her over his padded shoulder, "just thought you should know that so you'll have your facts straight the next time you sock me like that." With that said, he faced away from her and blasted off into the air, his energy trail flaring behind him as he jetted further out in the chamber for his own training.**

**Her eyes still wide from his remark, Sofia laughed and smiled with unrestrained fondness as she turned and started walking to the palace. "God, I really need to get that Namek into bed," she humorously remarked to herself as she crossed her arms and shook her head with a lopsided smile quirking her lips.**

* * *

 

**Pulling off her socks to dance barefoot around the small palace, Sofia hummed absently as she went into the kitchen and dropped her dirty plates in the sink to be washed later. Her hunger sated for the moment, she stretched languidly _—_  arms over her head and on tip-toe, small pops and cracks snapping as she yawned like a predatory cat of myth. Her spirits were in the stratosphere after her somewhat 'endearing' day with her sensei, and for the first time in weeks she didn't feel like crashing face-first in a mattress and passing out of consciousness from complete exhaustion. Deciding to just hang around and kill time waiting for Piccolo to come back from his loner training, Sofia strutted through the tussling air current of the eerie dimensional divide into her quarters, unceremoniously tossing her socks on the piled mountain of dirty laundry and dramatically tossing herself unto her bed. Breathing out a huffing sigh, she stared up at the dome-shaped ceiling.**

**"** He's too sexy for his gi, too sexy for his sash, too sexy it hurts! **" she belted in a mock baritone inflection, "** He's too sexy for his cape, too sexy for his turban, too sexy too care! **" she leaped up on her mattress and started jumping and dancing to her own mock-homage to Right Said Fred's only hit. "** He's a Namek, you know what I mean, and I watch him shake his butt on the catwalk, yeah on the catwalk, shake his cute butt on the catwalk! DOOM-DOOM-DOON-DOON-DOON! **" she jumped, doing a flip in mid air, and landed gracefully on the cold tiled floor, once again stretching the fatigue out of her back, more from boredom than real strain.**

**"Hmm, angsty man ain't getting back for a good while, but really don't feel like getting to sleep yet," she mumbled to herself as her gaze traced her quarters for something to do. "Don't feel like drawing…hmm," sulkily sitting on the floor, she dejectedly raised her hand and telekinetically guided her Piccolo action figure out of her backpack, and made it dance on her dresser, humming the remnants of the song.**

**After a few minutes of that, she grew quickly bored and let the action figure drop back in her backpack, which reminded her that she had something she wanted but forgot about in said backpack. Her concentration more precise, she levitated her backpack off the dresser to float towards her and to land in her lap. Rummaging through the heavily cluttered bag, she absently bit the tip of her tongue under a pointed fang until her fingers dug against a thickly folded wad of papers. Pulling the folded papers out and returning her 'purse' to its usual place, she quickly unfolded the papers, which were stapled securely together at the corner, and stood to her now formidable height.**

**" _Shattered Glass  by Namek Kaia_… OH YEAH!" her eyes sparked with recognition for the fan fiction title as being the one she printed the day before she had stumbled into the DBZ realm and had stuffed in her backpack for safe keeping. A sinful smirk quirking her lips, she ran into the main room and decided to sit against a pillar at the entrance of the palace, where she was close enough to the kitchen and snack provisions for her reading. Tugging on the jean material from riding up her rear as she crouched into a sitting position, she crossed her ankles and went right into the story, which starred Piccolo and an original character of the author's.**

**She read through the first two chapters quickly, very enthralled by the author's writing style and descriptiveness. As the storyline between the two characters began to develop, Sofia couldn't help her schoolgirl squeals and giggles peel in the echoing chamber with every description of Piccolo's body or attire, and the innovative way he was portrayed in the somewhat smutty fan fiction.**

**Biting her lip and suppressing a husky giggle, she read silently and avidly over a specific passage. _Blood rushed through him and settled at his groin, causing his pants to feel even more constricting around his large lower frame. He felt hot suddenly, but all he wanted was more. Using all his strength to stay standing under her ministrations, Piccolo reveled in the feeling of her velvety tongue against his burning skin. His hands tightened their grip on her, one massaging her scalp and the other holding her in place as he subtly grinded his hips into hers to relieve some of the pressure that was steadily building between his legs. She moaned at his actions and he nearly came undone at the sound… THIS IS SO FRIGGIN' HOT!_ She shouted in her mind after avidly reading the passage and braced her back fully against the pillar behind her as she raised her legs towards her chest.**

**Her chocolate eyes roamed the typed text as she absently chewed on the inside of her cheek, the story taking certain suspenseful turns and diving back into the scenes that would make any rabid Piccolo fangirl squeal with their fists in the air from admiration and hormones. _Piccolo now leaned back on both his hands, watching her examine him with great interest as he reveled in the feel of her touch. It was so erotic, the way she made him feel while she was touching him with such innocence. He was hard pressed to decide whether he would have her continue her innocent exploration or change to a more aggressive touch. After a few moments, he came to the decision that he would take his time with her. There was no sense in rushing the one thing he might not ever get the chance to do again. He didn't bother to hide the half-smile that spread across his lips at the thought that he was about to lose his virginity to such a beautiful woman_**.  **"This is the hawtest thing I've ever read," Sofia breathed in a mumble to herself, feeling her cheeks heat up and her nose twitch in warning of an intense nosebleed.**

**Pinching her nose to stifle any drip, she read on through the second to last chapter, the characters ensnared in acts that she wistfully substituted herself in place of the female character in her fantasized machinations. "What I wouldn't give to be in her place…" she sighed pensively and pinched her nose tighter as she came on a passage that robbed her of her breath.**

**_She gasped when he lowered her onto his shaft, and then released a moan so loud that he wouldn't be surprised if Dende himself had caught wind of it. Her back arched eagerly against him for him to begin moving, her legs in such a position that she could do nothing but wait for him to release the immense need that was built up almost to the point where it couldn't climb any higher. With a slow motion of his hips, Piccolo filled her to the hilt and reveled in the sound of pleasure that echoed through the room. A sound that he had brought to life—_ **

**"What are you reading?"**

**"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The unexpected baritone question that rumbled from behind and over her shoulder startled her enough to earn a scream of mortified horror at being taken by surprised, and made her stumble trying to get to her feet only to cause her to face fault to the floor and toss the lustfully orgasmic fiction up in the air to swat against the ceiling.**

**Piccolo's wide-eyed expression and sweatdrop dissipated as he reached out and caught the printed fiction after it fluttered back down. Sofia sat up and rubbed her face and swore haughtily in every language she knew, while Piccolo glanced at her with a raised brow ridge and scowl. "Hm, what the hell are you up to that you'd freak from a simple question?" he said in his deep monotone and glowered over at her as she rigidly looked up at him, still rooted to the floor on her rear as she glanced at the evidence of her perversion in his hand and back at him.**

**"Nothing! You sneaking up all stealthily and shit just freaked me, that's all," she muttered tersely, hoping that she didn't come off sounding too defensive as she scratched the back of her head.**

**Grunting unconvinced, Piccolo's gaze traveled from glaring at her over to the printed papers in his hand. "I just asked you what you were reading that had your attention so held that you didn't even notice my presence," he remarked gruffly and quickly skimmed over the first few paragraphs of the random page the fiction was bent at. Sofia's eyes widened in aghast shock as she realized the predicament that was unfolding due to his curiosity.**

**"Just give the thing back to me already and stop being so freaking nosey!" she snapped and went to lunge for the printed papers but was thwarted and held at bay by Piccolo's foot.**

**Pushing her back on her rear, Piccolo flipped through various pages after skimming over some of the passages, until something jumped out at him on one of the randomly flipped pages. "Why is my name in this?" he inquired in a commanding tone as he redirected his intense gaze to her.**

**Sofia flushed and sweatdropped. "Jesus, Piccolo! Just give me the fucking thing already!" she defensively chastised and went to get up and lunge for the papers again, but was cut down by the angry and intimidating glare and warning growl of the Namek looming in front of her.**

**Looking back at the passage that contained his name, Piccolo read out loud, " _Emerald hands roamed further down a creamy stomach until they reached her pants. After fumbling to undo them with no avail, he finally just ripped them off with a grunt and a nip to her lower lip,_ " Piccolo's brow furrowed in confusion while Sofia's eyes bugged out of her head and her face flushed deeper. She remembered what came after just one more sentence in that passage and paled at the fact that if he read why his name was in that certain paragraph, he would nuke her entire existence. " _A moan that sounded more like a whimper escaped her mouth and her eyes fell closed against her will after he moved between—_ "**

**His awkwardly gruff baritone narration was cut off by her shouted cry, "NOOOOO!" as she formed a small ki ball in her palm and threw it at the printed fiction, igniting the top margin and completely taking Piccolo by surprise as she staggered up, snatched the papers from his hand, threw them down to the floor, and stomped on them to put out the crinkling flames. Frozen in a wide stare, Piccolo merely watched her glance at him with blank features, snatch the slightly singed papers from the floor, and run out through her doorway in a mad-dash that he was too flabbergasted to follow.**

**Standing rooted to his spot in the middle of the main room, Piccolo rubbed the back of his neck as he let the lines of the passage flutter in his mind. After a long pause that stretched into confused silence, he grunted. "Emerald hands…?" he muttered to himself, and quickly shook his head to impede his curiosity from venturing any further. Grunting with a stoic semblance, he remarked to himself in a sigh, "Nevermind. I really don't wanna know…" and crouched into his trademark meditating stance, crossing his arms and going into his concentrated scowl.**

* * *

 

**"Ah, that was such a hot fic! When I get back I definitely have to check up on it," Sofia chimed to herself as she grinned and stretched out her legs from their previous lotus position. Hopping into a crouch, she sensed Piccolo's position, and found the unique reverberating ki signature still rooted in meditation in the main room of the palace. Standing up, she somberly looked at the printed smut she held in her hand. "Hmm, I guess I should really do away with it before it falls into Piccolo's hands again," she remorsed with a sigh and gave one more fond look at the papers before tossing them in the air and blasting them to nothing. "No more evidence," she mused as she walked over the edge of the palace roof and floated down to the pale ground.**

**Having escaped to the golden edifice's roof in order to read the rest of the fan fiction after being caught by Piccolo, she figured he was still too naïve to put what he read and the reason his name was in the passage together, since he made no haste in tracking her down and giving her an earful about how smut equals a pissy Namek. Grunting in amusement from the previous embarrassing situation she suffered with his impromptu narration, Sofia stepped past the draped entrance into her room. _Hmm, I really need to do something about all that laundry…_ she sardonically instructed to herself as she eyed wearily the pile of battered and abused clothes she had been stuck alternating for the past few weeks.  _I wonder where Kami put the laundry room in this place._**

**She remembered how a few days back she found out that the dimensional divide extended further past the threshold of her room when she had jogged around the front of the palace after having gone out through the archway entrance in her room, and noticed how she changed from 'real' to 'DBZ', the only difference being that the change was hardly noticeable compared to that of walking through the doorway in and out of her room. She later speculated that even if she was to go out into the void on her side of the divide, if she was to go onto the opposite side of the divide when out in the void, she would pass the dimensional divide provided by the chamber, same occurring if Piccolo went from his side of the divide to hers while out in the void. Lost in her musings, she decided to track down where she could wash her clothes. Wandering back out the entranceway, she went around back the wide edifice to see if maybe there was a discreetly placed laundry room attached to the palace that she might have missed before. "It's gotta be around here somewhere," she muttered to herself as she walked around the extension of outer wall that was part of her quarters to the back of what would be the main room. Looking for signs of an entrance of any kind, she started growling in aggravation as she found none. "Grr! Jeez, I know none of the Saiyans bothered changing their clothes when they were in here during the Cell saga, but c'mon! There should be at least a washing machine around here somewhere," she tersely grumbled to herself. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw a minute shift of paper. Sure enough, there was a small note stuck to the wall close to the corner where the edifice's wall angled out. Walking over and snatching the piece of thick parchment off the wall, she grunted in curiosity as she notice the familiar handwriting on it.**

**_Sofia, if you find this parchment then I assume you went in search for the palace's laundry room. Unfortunately, Mr. Popo and I were forced to discard any excessive clutter of appliances and palace alcoves in order to reconstruct the palace to its unique setup for your stay. Since the change needed to be adequately balanced out with the dimensional space of the chamber, we had to remove the laundry room alcove in order for the palace to fit within the dimensional space. I am very sorry if this causes you any inconvenience, but I am sure that, if requested nicely, Piccolo would gladly volunteer to create new garments and attire for you until your stay in the chamber is completed. –Kami_ **

**The sound of crumpling paper and a vehement swear word echoed in the expanse of the chamber…**

* * *

 

**_Pssh, why would I think meditating would relax me when I haven't been able to go deep in my consciousness for weeks now,_ ** **Piccolo grumbled to himself as he sulked out of his trademark meditating stance. His ear twitched at what he thought was a shouted curse word, but didn't have time to wonder where it came from.**

**'Can't meditate?' Nail's nonchalant tone resounded in his mind, to his dismay.**

**'Nail, why don't you go and take a permanent nap. It'd do me a huge pleasure not to hear you drone on today,' Piccolo tersely grumbled to his counterpart.**

**'Well, I did stay quiet during the entirety of your day with Sofia, so I thought you deserved the pleasure of conversing with me now,' Nail chimed in his offhanded tone, earning a growl of annoyance from the other.**

**'When did conversing with you ever become deserved,' Piccolo snidely remarked, 'and besides, I'm not in the _conversing_ mood.'**

**'Hm, as if you were ever in any other mood besides brooding,' Nail said matter-of-factly. 'Well I just wanted to talk about Sofia, but since you're thinking of her constantly nowadays anyway, I guess I won't distract you from your musings.'**

**'Nail!' Piccolo growled in repressed scorn. 'Just spit out what you really want to say and stop jerking me around! I am in no mood for your jargon shit today.'**

**A short pause reigned before Nail went directly to his point. 'Her power flared wildly today after that insensitive comment of yours,' a pause, then, 'Do you revel in being reckless or are you simply stubborn enough to ignore the warning Kami-sama gave you about how she could be harmed by her own emotions?' His sharp tone wasn't ebbed, only punctuated by the grave inflection his words took on telepathically.**

**Surprised by Nail's rhetorical statement and delivery, Piccolo crossed his arms tightly and set his jaw.**

**His tone returning to his characteristic tenor chime, Nail continued, 'Her attraction to you is getting stronger, and so is her emotional conviction in this situation. Challenging that alienates her emotions, something you do not want to do knowing the consequences.'**

**Clenching his jaw tightly, Piccolo responded apathetically, 'She needs to learn to control her own damn emotions. It's not my job to handle her with kid gloves just cuz of the ramblings of that old goat. I'm not here to babysit her, and I refuse to do otherwise.'**

**A terse pause. 'Then what if she dies? What if the "ramblings of that old goat" are exactly right, and something does happen to her if she lets her emotions take over!?' Nail stated sternly, his hard tone echoing across the central bridge of their consciousness.**

**Piccolo dug his pointed nails into his palms. 'I _won't_ let that happen,' he growled with restrained determination to his counterpart.**

**Sobering his tone, Nail continued, 'That's all I wanted to hear you say,' he paused, and added carefully, 'can you now admit to yourself that you care about her, at least to the level that you care about Gohan?'**

**Scoffing a huff, Piccolo countered, 'When you say me, you actually mean admit to you, right?'**

**'…that would be good too,' Nail remarked aloofly.**

**'Humph,' he grunted, thinking about the question. 'Well, I guess _—_ ' his telepathic snorted remark was cut off by the grumbling muttering that he picked up entering the main room. **

**He snapped out of the telepathic conversation just in time to see Sofia pace right by him, her features furrowed in aggravation and her stride stalking as she went to the kitchen, ignoring him as if he weren't even in the room. He could hear her still vehemently grumbling and swearing as the sounds of cabinets swinging open and shut echoed into the room. Then she emerged from the kitchen gripping a bottle of dishwashing soap, still muttering turbulently to herself in a mix of Spanish and English as she paced right by him and stalked into her quarters.**

**Raising a browridge, Piccolo grunted and stood up. 'Whatta hell is her problem?' he telepathically muttered.**

**'Hm, how should I know? I would find out for myself, but you know _—_ ' Piccolo cut him off with a grunt.**

**'Fine, I'll go see what stupid thing she's getting bent out of shape about now,' he rumbled stoically and strode over to the dimensional threshold dividing their realms.**

**As he stepped through the swishing air current into her reality, he paused and stared as he almost got hit in the face by a tattered white shirt. Sofia was deep in the middle of a pile of laundry, sifting through what was salvageable and what needed to be taken out back and blasted out of existence, muttering about how pathetic she'd feel asking for anything from someone so pigheaded and arrogant.**

**After some time of staring at her erratic behavior, Piccolo's semblance became apathetic as he crossed his arms and rumbled tersely behind her, "What the hell are you doing?"**

**"Laundry," was the repressed snarl he got as an answer, her attention never addressing him as she still sifted, tossed, and piled certain clothes in their respective categories.**

**Cocking a brow ridge, Piccolo eyed the formidable pile of clothes as he remarked, "Why would you need to do laundry?"**

**Pausing rigidly in her task, she turned her berating glare towards him. "What the hell kind of dumb question is that? Because I need clean clothes! We've been in here for weeks and I've run out of clean clothes," she snidely answered and snatched another dilapidated shirt and tossed it to its rightful pile.**

**Deeply scowling at her harsh tone, he growled, "I meant why the hell would you waste time doing laundry when you're in the middle of training! Any moron would know to just stay dressed in one set of clothes and get used to it."**

**Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Sofia sneered. "So you're telling me you get grossed out when people eat, but you have no qualms about wearing the same nasty, sweated, dirty-ass clothes for more than a month? Jeez, have you even taken a shower since we've been here? I bet you're green from the fungus you haven't bothered washing off your body. Ewwww!" she antagonized mockingly and stood up from the pile.**

**Baring his fangs in a gruff growl, Piccolo barked, "Of course I've taken a shower since I've been here! And when I said any moron should get used to one set of clothes I meant specifically someone like you, a mere mortal who can't even create their own clothing _—_ " Sofia's eyes narrowing and her features set in a frown, she interjected his sentence with a scoff.**

**"Oh, like someone like _you_ , right? Grr, of course _—_ rub in the fact that you can simply materialize your own threads by just picturing them and a point or snap of your fingers," she scoffed in disdain and brushed back her bangs from her face as she continued, "Hm, well so sorry that I can't picture myself wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt and snap my fingers, and VOILA!" With a snap of her fingers, she suddenly felt a swish of air current caress her frame and surprising warmth wash over her and dissipate quickly.**

**Grunting stoically and cocking a brow ridge in slight humor, Piccolo sardonically rumbled, "You were saying?"**

**Snapping her gaze down at herself, Sofia found a pair of snug-fitting blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt hitching along her generous bust. Eyes widening as she glanced at Piccolo and then back at herself, she stood there in complete awe. "…" turning and picking up a random piece of clothing, she placed it on top of her bed and stared at it. Picturing the tattered shirt back to its original condition, she snapped her fingers and watched the garment dissolve into the image that had been in her mind's eye. Her eyes widening again, she turned to stare at Piccolo. "HOLY SHIT! YAAAAY!" she cried in jubilee and started jumping and shouting in elation.**

**Piccolo couldn't suppress the lopsided smirk that quirked his boyish lips. "Now will you stop your grumbling and complain _—_ " he was cut off as she jumped in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. His brow arching in surprise, he grunted down at her, and was once again thwarted from escape by the kiss she planted on his lips.**

**Pulling away and playfully rubbing the tip of her nose against his, she purred, "Alright, I won't grumble anymore if you agree to take the initiative and kiss me first one of these days, alright sugarlips?"**

**Growling deep in his chest, he repressed a sneer and stuck his nose up in an air of disdain. "Fat chance, kid!" he grunted, then bore his intense gaze on her as he rumbled, "I don't intend to indulge any of your perversions," he paused and furrowed his brow as he added, "and by the way, what the hell was it you were reading before?"**

**Coughing as a slight blush spread over her cheekbones, she evasively chimed, "Just reading up on certain techniques and whatnot." _The kind that I can only fantasize doing with you…_**

**"Hm," he snorted. "And what kind of technique requires emerald hands to roam down a stomach, huh?" he inquired gruffly, and at Sofia's dumbfounded expression, he continued with a repressed wry tone, "I really don't see what someone with hands made out of a certain mineral has anything to do with fighting, especially if all he's doing is groping someone's stomach."**

**Cocking her head from total confusion, she grunted. "Huh? What are you talking about?"**

**Frowning, his features set in their characteristic brooding scowl, he tersely muttered, "Don't play dumb! I'm not stupid enough to not know what emerald is; it's a gemstone that comes in different blues and greens. Humans use them as 'birthstones'…" he trailed off as he watched Sofia's features light up with humor. "What?!"**

**Smiling coyly at him, she simply leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose, getting him to pull away and frown deeper at her. "You are so cute when you spout off naively like that," she mumbled in his ear as she released her tight grip around his neck to playfully rub his clothed pecs.**

**Snarling in annoyance, Piccolo realized he was still holding her against him in his arms, and presently dropped her out of his hold, sending her to land on her rear against the cold tile at his feet. "ACK!" she yelped and scowled up at him. "You are so HARSH!" she snapped with a goofy inflection to her tone. Pulling herself back up from the floor, she absently rubbed her derriere as she thought up a new way to annoy her chamber roommate and Namekian crush. "Just for that, you can stay here and help me choose…" she mumbled in a diabolic tone to the unamused Namek.**

**"Choose what? I'm not here to waste my time on your female nonsense," he grumbled as he went to step back through the dimensional threshold, but was stopped by an invisible force that seized his legs. Looking over at her with unrestrained agitation, he growled, "Let go, or else!"**

**Of course, Sofia ignored his biting command and simply focused on the mental picture she wanted to materialize. "Alright," she snapped her fingers, and magically her present attire dissolved into a polished set of combat boots, low-riding and snug-fitting Capri jeans, and a red halter top shirt that had the logo " _I'm a sucker for Green Beans_ " across the bust line, all of course accessorized with the onyx necklace and pendant with garnet stone that hung pressed over the shirt. Doing a brazen spin for him, she chimed, "Whatcha think?"**

**'I think she looks very fetching,' Nail remarked with a knowing coy tone.**

**Ignoring his counterpart's approving comment, Piccolo crossed his arms. "Hate the shirt," was all he grumbled as he glowered at her.**

**Smiling, Sofia put a hand on her hip while she snapped her fingers to materialize the next ensemble, which was more of a gag costume than anything else. "How 'bout this?" she inquired as she flexed her arm under the constricting blue spandex-like material.**

**For the first time, Piccolo really had to make sure he held his gaze above her neckline as he tried to remark with nonchalance, "You look like that midget Vegeta's twin, now let me go."**

**Mockingly frowning and tugging on the white glove of one hand, she chimed, "But you have to help me pick out my outfit for tomorrow." At his angry huff, she started snapping her fingers in a frenzy, her clothes dissolving and materializing with the speed of a snapshot as she hummed and danced a circle around him. "Well hurry up and pick one or I'll never let the telekinetic charge on your legs go," she commanded in a cool tone to the Namek who followed her movement around him with his bored graphite gaze.**

**Growling deep in his chest and showing off the tip of a pointed fang with his sneer, Piccolo barked snidely, "You could show up to train naked for all I care! Now let GO!"**

**Pausing in front of him, Sofia connected her gaze with his in a searing stare. "Only if you agree to go in the buff too," she remarked in a sultry tone. With the death glare she received as her only response, Sofia relented with a sigh as she waved her hand and erased the kinetic hold on his legs. Setting her in his intense glare, he grunted, turned, and went to head through the doorway, when she called out, "Hey, Piccolo," he turned his sulking gaze back to her, "when is it that you take your showers?"**

**Furrowing his brow, but still maintaining his general scowl, he grunted, "Whenever you're asleep and I have the time," he paused and cautiously added, "Why?"**

**"Oh, just cuz I was thinking about taking one now, and since water conservation is always a good thing to practice, I was wondering if you'd like to join me and share the shower, I mean, while you rinse down your back I could scrub your front _—_ hey, hey! AW, that's HARSH, C'mon! Hear me out at least!" she mockingly protested as Piccolo poignantly shot down her lewd proposition with huffing growl and the retreating of his cape-festooned back through the divide, into the main room and out past the pillars where he blasted off to broodingly train  _away_  from the sex-crazed female.**

**Chuckling to herself, Sofia tugged on the material of her shirt. "This is so awesome! Perk Numba 4!" she mused and walked through the threshold into the main room to head towards the bathroom for her shower. As the swishing air caressed her skin and hair, she collided with this wall of heat that seemed to invisibly cling to her skin as she stepped into the other side of the dimensional line. Feeling a streak of blush slash across her features, Sofia pressed her palm against her forehead and felt the sweltering heat that resembled a high fever as she leaned against the wall to compose herself. "Whew! What the hell is this?" She pushed herself off the wall and stalked over to the bathroom. Bowing her head from bumping against the upper frame, she entered the bathroom and shut the sliding door behind herself. Her body felt like it exuded heat, and she felt as if her body temperature was increasing to a height no human could survive. Stripping free of her now oppressive garments, she pulled the shower curtain open and turned the shower spray on to spout ice cold water. Stepping into the tub and pulling the curtain shut, she stood directly under the cascading torrent, not even feeling much the chill of the water that would usually make her teeth chatter and her frame tremble. Although the cold of the water wasn't even registering on her skin, her body temperature did seem to lower the longer she stood under the spray. Sighing as she tipped her face up to the cascade, she began to go through her bathing ritual when two out of her many senses heightened dramatically. Her sense of smell was being stimulated by a scent that still clung in the small but immaculate room. Washing the soap out of her eyes and rinsing it out of her hair, she stood under the spray and inhaled deeply through her nose, and sorted out every single mingling of scents in the room, until she came upon the one that had stimulated her sense in the first place. It was a scent that seemed to radiate from the tiled walls, earthy, heavy, and most noticeably, musky. It was a musk that had settled even within the person's aura shadow left over from being recently in the room…**

**Inhaling the scent once again, she closed her eyes and saw, through her mind's eye, the subtle strands of aura that still wafted on the walls of the room. She could detect how long it had been since the owner of the aura had been in there just by how faint the strands were, but the scent still remained heady and rousing as it clung to the surfaces around her. Sighing as she exhaled, Sofia opened her eyes and shut the nozzle off. "Hmm...desert soil, rain, and sweat…" she mumbled in a sort of daze as she stepped out of the tub. Her body didn't even feel the cool air that circled the small space. Wringing out her hair and towel drying it, she frowned as she noticed that none of the other towels had been used by her roommate since there stay. Hanging up the towel, she whipped her hair back and let her aura surge outward, the burst of ki drying her from head to toe. "Ugh, it's still hot. Might as well go with the usual pajamas," she mused out loud and pictured her sleeping robes for the night. With a snap of her fingers, a scant and tight undershirt and matching short shorts panties materialized to fit her feminine frame. Brushing her teeth and tying her hair back, Sofia pulled the sliding wooden door open and stepped into the main room, still feeling the heat cling to her. Walking through the doorway and into her room, she sat on her bed in the lotus position and stared at her pile of clothes.**

**"Alright!" she voiced and slapped her hands together, "time to fix all of this stuff and put it away." She levitated garment after garment, picturing its original state and snapping her fingers to restore it.**

**By the time Piccolo returned from the chamber's void, Sofia had dozed off on her side with an arm dangling off the bed. When he went in to check on her, he found that she had gone through more than half of the pile and put the restored clothes back in the dresser. Grunting at the sight, he went over and pulled the covers from under her and then on her sleeping form. Instantly, she growled in her sleep and kicked the comforter off herself and rolled onto her opposite side. Cocking a brow ridge at her action, Piccolo pulled the comforter on her again, and once again Sofia kicked it off and curled on her side. Grunting, Piccolo rolled his eyes and gave up, walking back out the doorway. Deciding to skip his shower, he pulled off his weighted shoulder pads and turban, plopping them down by the luxurious purple-draped bed of the main room. Stretching his back, he yawned for the first time in a couple of weeks, his fangs fully revealed as was the rest of his impeccable ivory teeth. Pulling his plum gi shirt off with one quick tug and discarding it onto the rest of his gear, he decided that he should get some of the rest that he had been deprived of from not being able to meditate.**

**Sitting on the plush bed, he grunted as he kicked off his brown moccasin. "Can't believe I actually have to sleep…so stupid," he muttered and cut himself off with another yawn as he laid back onto the welcoming mattress. Scratching his chest as he propped the pillow better behind his head with his arm, he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion of weeks wash over him, and slowly dozed off into the beseeching calm of sleep, lightly snoring with every exhale of breath.**

**Little did he know that this would be the last moment of hearty rest he would receive for quite sometime, as the events of the oncoming day would stifle any sense of tranquility in his turbulent enough existence…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The excerpted passages of the fan fiction within this chapter ARE NOT BY ANY MEANS MINE! They are NAMEK KAIA'S and belong to her wonderful story, "Shattered Glass".


	11. Pressure Pops, Something Sprouts

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**She sprung up out of sleep clutching the pendant against her chest, her body damp with perspiration, a sharp contrast to the cold of her dream. Sofia felt her insides burning almost feverishly as she swung her legs over to the side of her bed and cradled her throbbing head in her hands. The cool chill of the tile under her feet was imperceptible to her as she stood _—_  her senses pulsing with unbidden anxiousness, and walked wearily over to the threshold that led into the main room.  _My god! I feel like I've been inside a pressure cooker for days! Shit, could I be getting sick? This started last night, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it is now…maybe I can jump in the shower before traini—_ Sofia's train of thought cut straight off as she stepped into the main room.**

**Her eyes grew wide and her gaze avid as a picture of her purest fantasies laid sprawled in front of her in all its glory. The slumbering, chiseled form of her Adonis _—_  complete with exposed broad shoulders, sloping collarbones leading to the dip of wide sculpted pectorals and washboard abdomen sinched with a slender waist and the peeking of the V-shaped angle of his hips leading to a covered apex _—_  slept in undaunted passivity. His lips were parted and his semblance was soft while his chest rose and fell with his gentle snoring as he rested on his back with his arms tossed tiredly on either side of him.**

**Sofia could feel her pulse roaring and her veins throbbing as she bit her lip and padded quietly closer to the purple-draped bed and sleeping Namek. _He's so handsome…_  she mentally gasped as she came to the right side of the bed. **

**She gazed voraciously up and down at his incredible physique, only stopping as her sense of smell hazed her mind with a powerful scent that clung alluringly to him. The scent was no less potent from when she sensed and smelled it last. _Desert soil, rain, and sweat…_ her nose twitched as she inhaled and exhaled. She seemed to be entranced by his musky scent, completely intoxicated by his mere presence and appearance in such an erotic fashion. Against her dulling sense of control, Sofia leaned over his sleeping form and sniffed his chest, her body shivering as she distinguished the rousing scent of his sweat, which clung strongly to him from his previous training. **

**Shutting her eyes with intense rapture, she tried to compose herself, trying to think of all of his unattractive qualities. _He's an asshole! Unaffectionate, supercilious, no genitals!…and he doesn't keep up his showering…_**

**She sunk her fangs into the inner rim of her bottom lip at the thought, his incredible scent capturing her. Faltering, she leaned closer… and swiped her tongue lightly over his shoulder, and immediately pulled back and slapped herself out of her lustful trance, just as Piccolo's brow knitted and his hand came up to absently swat at the spot on his shoulder where he felt a slight tickle, still in deep slumber.**

**She bit the tip of her tongue under a pointed fang, feeling the sinuous tickle of his taste still lingering against it. Her face heating in embarrassment, she shook her head and took a step towards the end post of the grand bed, where her bare foot felt cloth wrinkle under it. Seeing that she had stepped on the edge of his cape, she sighed and took in a deep breath to relax herself, only to once again be invaded by his strong, delectable scent. Her eyes darted to where his weighted shoulder pads, turban and shirt laid on the floor. Snatching his shirt and holding it as if it was a sacred relic, she mentally squealed at her luck. _HIS SWEATY SHIRT!_ Bringing the shirt to her face, she inhaled his musky sweat and scent, making her sway from the rush it brought over her senses. **

**Glancing over at him, with the shirt still held up to her face, she couldn't help trail back over to the side of the bed and stare at his handsome visage. The stalks of his antennae wavered subtly with every exhale of his breath, the bulbous tips casting shadows over his cheekbones. _God he's so gorgeous! Hmmm, maybe—maybe one little harmless kiss wouldn't be too bad… just a soft, gentle kiss on the lips,_  she mused to herself as she placed the shirt on the bed and leaned close to his sleeping features. Pausing as he sighed in his sleep, she leaned in closer, and softly brushed her lips against his. Parting slowly, she thought she had kissed the sleeping brooding Namek and gotten away with it, until he hummed deep in his chest and stretched sleepily, slowly coming out of slumber. **

**Yawning like a ferocious lion, Piccolo slowly opened his eyes to half lids and absently scratched his exposed chest. He heard the quick click of the shutting sliding door off to his left, and the bursting to life of the shower spray as it was turned on to full blast. Grunting long and low to himself, he sat up and swung his long, muscular legs over to sit on the side of the bed as he stretched out his arms and back.**

**"Hmph, I slept longer than I should've," he mumbled gruffly to himself as he massaged the back of his neck and leaned on his arm almost uncharacteristically lazy. His hand brushed with familiar cloth as he flexed his long tapered fingers and he pulled at it and held his shirt. "Huh, I don't remember leaving this here," he muttered as he eyed his shirt. Shrugging, he tossed it over his head and pulled it on as he sat up and slipped into his brown, comfortable leather moccasins. Finishing sticking the hem of his shirt into his sash, Piccolo could not help crack his knuckles and grin at how energized he felt after the long resting sleep. "Guess I could give in and rest a little more often."**

**Meanwhile, Sofia thanked her stars that she had gotten stealthier and faster, because chances would've been she'd gotten caught molesting Piccolo while he slept. She wiped the perspiration off her forehead with the back of her hand and sighed. _Jeez, whatta hell is up with me? I think I'm finally losing it like I told Kami. Next thing I know I'll be having my way with him and forcing him into submission, heh…_  she mused wryly with herself as she peeled her sweaty clothes off and stepped under the fierce cold spray of water and shut the curtain. She stood under the boorish stream of water and seemingly cooled down, only suffering from slight hot flashes that would zap across her body and evaporate into nothingness. She knew there was something completely wrong with her present state, but was dumbfounded when it came to discerning what her body was going through, not to mention how her dreams of late had stopped clueing her in to her certain spurts of growth, strength, and abilities. She seethed mentally as she brushed her long, matted bangs out of her eyes and off her skin. Whatever it was, she knew that today was going to be very long, considering her antics of the past day.  _Piccolo is really uptight about me flirting with him…maybe I should try to stay out of his way and cut the antics. Then he could just ease into the idea of accepting my crush without me forcing it down his throat._  She sighed into the spray cascading over her, just about to finalize her mental deductions with herself when she almost slipped in the tub from the booming knock the sliding wooden bathroom door received. **

**Pulling the hair out of her eyes, she snarled. "WHAT!" Receiving a pound on the door again as a reply, she growled. "WHAT IS IT!"**

**"You've been in there for an eternity. That's what!" Piccolo hollered through the door at her. "Hurry up and get the hell out already!"**

**Huffing loud enough for him to hear, she snidely snapped, "You can wait a little longer to get your ass kicked today, Namek! Relax and keep your shirt on for christsakes!"**

**Hearing his ominous growl from behind the solid wood of the door, Sofia thought she had won the verbal spar, when Piccolo suddenly banged continuously on the door the way an impatient child would. "Goddammit! PICCOLO! CUT IT OUT!" She boomed at him over the blasting of the shower and the banging of the door.**

**"GET THE FUCK OUT THEN!" he barked in his venomous tone, absently sneering as he rapped disdainfully against the wooden surface. "If you don't get your ass out I'll _—_ "**

**"YOU'LL WHAT! Open the door and get a free peep show, you perpetually frigid jerk? Unless you're looking to get into a bear fight with stark-naked-me, you should go pretend to be a tree and sulk somewhere and WAIT for me!" she countered acidly back, feeling her aggravation roar like a violent stream within her.**

**Piccolo snapped his jaw tightly shut, his temper skyrocketing out of his control. Of course he didn't want to see her in the nude and never hear the end of it, but one of the asinine functions of his body was beckoning to be released. " _KID,_ " he ground contemptuously between clenched jaw, "I  _NEED_ to  _USE_  the  _BATHROOM_!" **

**Sofia cocked her head in confusion under the spray, her brow knitting as she asked, "For what?"**

**Piccolo's eyes narrowed to slits as he directed his penetrating glare through the door. "What do you think for, you ditz! I need to use it," he chastised sharply and crossed his arms impatiently over his chest.**

**Sofia pulled her wet mane completely back and rubbed the back of her neck. "But use it for what?"**

**Piccolo's exasperation boiled totally over. "TO TAKE A PISS!" he hollered, "Must I spell it out for you? Get out of the fucking shower NOW!"**

**Sofia felt like a total dunce, but how the hell was she supposed to know? He was the one with no genitals. "Alright, alright! I didn't know, ok! Jeez, how was I supposed to know that you really do take pisses when I've never once seen you use the damn toilet," she scolded back as she cut the shower spray off with the turn of the nozzle and pulled the shower curtain back, stepping out of the tub and onto the fluffy rug.**

**Feeling his left eye twitch with agitation, Piccolo set his jaw and scowled at the door. "What is it your business to know what I do physiologically," he grumbled at the door, thrumming his fingers against his bicep after crossing his arms in attempt to regain his patience. A minute passed, and she still didn't come out, making the vein in his left temple throb. "That's IT!" he lost all patience and threw the door open to reveal Sofia brushing her teeth in a haze of steam, the cloud of mist scintillating against his face and dampening his skin.**

**Sofia almost choked on the foamy paste she was gargling at his sudden intrusion, and only had enough time to spit, wash her mouth out, and yelp as Piccolo yanked her out of the bathroom and shoved her into the main room, pulling the wooden door shut for his own session of privacy.**

**"Jeez! You didn't know if I was still naked or not," she snapped at him through the door, straightening her sleeveless black shirt and tugging on the pair of jeans that she considered a little too tight.**

**All she got as a reply was the audible lifting of the toilet seat as it banged against the ceramic tank. Curiosity getting the best of her, she inched closer to the wooden door, and placed her ear against it. She heard the familiar stream of physiological relief and couldn't stifle her blush at the thought that maybe he was packing, and just kept it REALLY hidden.**

**Bending down to try and find if she could peep through the door, she felt the constricting jeans grip her knees, so she huffed, stood, and snapped herself into a pair of shredded jean shorts, the first pair she had donned in a long time. As she bent back down to find a way to quench her curiosity, the sound of a flush and the clank of the seat being dropped back down echoed through the wood of the door, immediately followed with the throwing of the door open again. Sofia froze as a brown moccasin and Namekian ankle appeared from the opened door. _SHIT!_**

**"As much as I enjoy seeing you kneel at my presence, it would be best for you to get up before I haul you up," Piccolo's snide tone held back the characteristic growl of his voice as his eyes connected with Sofia's, who raised her gaze to him like a deer caught in the headlights.**

**Sofia straightened so that she was only on bent knee, and tried to spew a reply when her eyes trailed to what they were now level of his. Piccolo saw the searing blush trail her features and scoffed, grabbing her by the shoulder and hauling her up roughly. "Stop thinking your perversions and get ready to train already," he barked commandingly down at her and shoved her out of his way so he could stalk out to the pillared entrance, leaving her in a hormonal rut that she was silently trying to pull herself out of.**

**_What is WRONG with me?!_ ** **she shouted in her mind, trying to suppress the shiver that went up her spine at the flashing of his scent that wafted to her from his stalking pace. Her mouth went dry, and her knees were shaky as she paced after him into the void of the chamber. _What is he doing to me…?_**

**Her palm sweltered against her burning forehead and she could only sigh from the new anomaly. Tying her hair up to relieve herself from its contribution to her feverishness, her mind suddenly keyed her into an odd, but funny fact of Piccolo's bathroom break. _He put the seat up, pissed, put the seat BACK DOWN AND FLUSHED. Wow, I guess he might be brusque and crude, but at least he has bathroom manners…_**

* * *

 

**I could not figure out what his presence was doing to me, but I knew that it was definitely _him_ that was making me feel and think this way. When this became explicitly clear to me, I realized that I shouldn't be around him, let alone spar with him! But what the hell could I do? Tell him I was having hormonal anxiety around him and that all I thought about when I was close to him was of being pressed under his weight and tasting his sweat-damped skin!? What the fuck? I'm not that much of a perv!**

**"Hey! Are you waiting for my invitation or are you waiting for the year to end to get your damn guard up," his angsty bark woke me from my wandering thoughts of molestation, and I mechanically got into my stance, trying fiercely to concentrate on not getting pummeled. I must have aggravated him to his edge of patience that morning, because at noticing my spaced out demeanor, he got into his fighting pose and scowled deeper than I had ever seen, then gruffly informed me, "You'll fight with no ki, and I mean not even a boost of ki, do you understand me, kid?"**

**My face tightened, and I know he saw the reflex because I saw the muscle in his jaw twitch as if he could already sense his victory. "And are you going to give yourself a handicap?" I narrowed my eyes and added, "seems you intend to enjoy yourself with this fight, since you're the one making up the rules all the time."**

**Seeming to regain some of his cool and patience, Piccolo grunted and closed his eyes slyly, replying factually, "I won't use any ki either, not even to fly, and I'll also give you an advantage, does that sound fine to you?"**

**I ground my teeth at his condescending tone, and spat sarcastically, "Please don't worry about accommodating me. I told you I don't want you to go easy on me _—_ "**

**"Oh, this advantage will not make the fight easy. Just interesting," Piccolo stated too coyly than I would have liked as he suddenly materialized a long white cloth. Bringing the cloth up, he pulled it taut and proceeded to blindfold himself!**

**Annoyed at the fact that I didn't get it, I scoffed, "Let me get an apple to put on your head and a bow with an arrow to put us in business. What is the point _—_?"**

**Piccolo phased right in front of me and threw a punch, with his fist coming only a good two inches from utterly crushing my nose, making me cut my scoff and mentally gulp. "The point is: I don't have to see you to fight you. My other senses will help me with that," he gruffly explained as he lowered his fist. "Not to mention I want to see if you can fight equally as well without the use of your ki," he added as he stood straight and pulled the corner of his blindfold up to peek an onyx eye at me.**

**Getting where he was going with it, I remarked, "And so I can pace myself and not exert so much wasted energy." Piccolo grunted affirmatively, turned on his heel and strode away to put some distance between us. I got into my stance before he turned back to face me. He lowered his blindfold again and got into his own stance.**

**"On my signal, you may attack," Piccolo commanded apathetically to me. _Grr, he sounds so smug, though! He's the only person who can do that shit; convey such arrogance in a stoic tone,_ I huffed to myself and felt the angst vein pop to life on my temple. Heh, I probably looked pretty hilarious, but at the time, I didn't know whether to strangle him or grab his ass. "Ok…go for it, kid!"**

**My body flexed at his command, but I didn't attack. I held my stance and simply watched him, trying to sense any difference in his energy signal, and to feel out any sabotage he could spring on me, but after 15 seconds, I didn't pick up anything. I set my jaw and silently snarled at him. _Does he think I'm stupid! There's gotta be a reason why he's so confident about this. He put himself in the worst handicap; he can't sense my ki! Sure he could hear my moves, but if I move fast enough that won't matter, so what is his angle?_**

**"I'm not here for you to gawk at, kid," I snapped out of my conference and noticed the scowl curving his lip. "So get on with it before I make the first move!"**

**I sneered, and knew he was right. _Does he expect me to cheat and use my ki?_  The thought flashed in my head, and then I was really on guard.  _If that's the case, then he's up to something…but what?_**

**Shelving the worries, I went at him as fast as I could without the help of ki, which if I had to compare it to anything, it would probably be similar to running down a steep hill and having all the momentum increase your speed. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough, and Piccolo caught my foot when I went in for a roundhouse to his head and flipped me backwards.**

**I landed on my feet and skid after I twisted in the air, a reflex I picked up after the buttload of times Piccolo sent me flying from a hit. I snapped back into my stance, but suddenly got put into a choke hold from behind. My breath hitched and my cheek tingled as it rubbed roughly against the ridged skin of his bicep. "Pretty good, but you're just not quiet enough," his gruff chide had a smug undertone, and the next thing I knew, I growled and flipped him over my head, earning a surprised grunt from the cocky bastard.**

**_Now to get him while I can!_ ** **I sprinted after him with my arm pulled back so I could get all the force I could into the next punch, but Piccolo landed and flipped to his feet, and had just enough time to block my punch without a great deal of effort. He threw his own punch, but I blocked it and the next and the next, until he ducked out of the way of my own jab and swipe-kicked my legs out from under me.**

**Good thing I was limber enough to pull myself back to flip onto my hands before landing on my back. I back flipped away to put some distance between each other. I huffed and got into my stance. _This is suspiciously harder than I expected. He has such a good handle on my moves, and I'm going as fast as I can! Shit. Any more of this, and I'll get tempted to go all out on him,_  I stood up and stopped moving, stopped breathing even, and just watched him. I put my hand over my heart and the pendant of the necklace so I could stifle even that from beating loud enough to be heard by those satellites he calls ears. He stood straight from his crouch and tried to pick up any sound. I knew from the iron mask his semblance went into that he couldn't get a handle on where I was, that and the fact that he wasn't even facing me.**

**"You're gonna have to make a move sometime," he called out in that challenging rasp of his, which if I hadn't been so livid I probably would've drooled over. I stayed quiet and just watched for an opening. _C'mon…_  he turned completely away from me, but was still on guard,  _But not on guard enough. This is my chance!_**

**I ran so fast at him that my heels didn't have time to push off against the ground. I had to even clench my jaw so I wouldn't make a battle cry as I speared him from behind like a linebacker, sending us crashing to the floor. I got him totally by surprise, or at least I surmised as much by his choked grunt. He landed on his stomach hard, and I crashed against his back, knocking the wind out of both of us, but not enough for me to stay stunned. Working fast, I tried to grab his arm and twist it behind his back, but he turned just in time to slam me on my back against the white floor and pin me with his forearm pressed against my collarbones.**

**His sheer weight was overwhelming at first. I gasped as he pressed down when I tried to squirm away, and froze when he started chuckling in that gruff silky-sounding tone of his, or maybe it just sounded that smooth to me. "Not bad, but I expected more from you. Seems that even with your opponent blinded you can't win the upper hand in battle," his tone was so _—_! so… scintillating to me at that moment. There I was, pressed between him and the floor, his hard body flexing with my slight movement, and his scent! Oh god…I felt dizzy just being so close to him. I knew I had to get away before I either passed out or did something I couldn't come back from.**

**With new resolve, I started clawing into his forearm, earning a snarl from him and having my head slammed back hard. I snapped suddenly and managed to throw him off of me, giving myself time to recover and stagger up. _Dammit, what is going on? I feel like I'm going to burn if he touches me again!_**

**… _So why not use ki?_ The question dawned on me, and I tried not to rationalize the pros of cheating, but failed.  _He can't sense me for shit, so what would be the big deal? Just as long as I keep it to its lowest increment there isn't a chance he'll notice the shift, and I could have a bigger edge in the fight._ Just when I about decided my plan of action, Piccolo took a lucky grapple and grabbed me by the tie of my hair.**

**He yanked me hard to him and grabbed my arm before I could drive my elbow into his side. "That was sneaky of you," he growled in my ear, making me break out in goosebumps all over. "But I'm getting bored with how easily I can catch you, Sofia," if I had any doubts about cheating before, they were eradicated with his pseudo sexy talk! In a crazy maneuver, I reached back and grabbed his wrist, twisted it to an angle, and pulled out of his grasp, enabling me to spin around and kick him square in the abs.**

**Piccolo landed on his back with a muffled thud and with my hair tie in his hand. He recovered fast and flipped to his feet, and got a huge surprise when I phased behind him and kicked him in the back of the legs, sending him to his knees. Getting a firm grip on either of his forearms and bracing my knee into the middle of his back, I pulled his arms back and taut, using his back as my leverage point. I bet his eyes went pretty wide under that blindfold, cuz his breath hitched and caught in his throat loudly.**

**"Is this more entertaining for you sensei!" I snarled acidly at him, and pulled his arms further back. He grunted and tried to resist, but I spiked some ki into my bloodstream, until it felt like a dull rippling in my body, and gripped his wrists so I could pull his arms to be pinned behind his back. "I kind of like you in this position; could get used to this," I forced smugly after lowering over to his ear, but got too cocky and my grip slipped.**

**Piccolo snapped his wrist around and grabbed me, hauling me to the side and sending me rolling a few feet. I snapped backwards and flipped onto my feet. He stood and went into his stance. I stopped my breathing so he couldn't hear me, but set my jaw painfully when I almost released a hiss. _Is that a smirk!_  Sure enough, Piccolo's lips were quirked into a confident smirk, and my blood boiled.  _I'm cheating…and still… something's up, and I have no clue what he's up to._**

**I brooded fiercely at him, and tried to rationalize my next move. _If he can't catch me, whatever he's up to shouldn't work._  I flooded more ki into my muscles, and decided that I was going to move as fast as humanly possible in order to end this once and for all.**

* * *

 

**_This isn't as simple as I thought it would be. She can keep herself quiet and not make even a breath loud enough for me to pick up._ ** **Piccolo stood a couple of yards away from Sofia, his face turned away from her direction. _She's very slick…and has managed not to cheat yet. Hm. Maybe I should encourage her anger a bit to give her the incentive to use ki._**

**He decided to leave himself open, but didn't drop his guard. _C'mon, brat!_  Sure enough, the next thing he knew he had been speared from behind and driven roughly to the floor. _G-ood!_  Piccolo was impressed by her stealth, and tried to regain his breath after grabbing her arm and swinging her from behind him to be slammed on her back. Pressing his weight on her collarbones, Piccolo challengingly mused "Not bad, but I expected more from you. Seems that even with your opponent blinded you can't win the upper hand in battle."**

**_That should set a fire in her to cheat._ ** **His answer was her clawing into his arms. He slammed her back with a snarl to make his point, only to be thrown off of her. Hitting the floor on his back, Piccolo glared at the white of the blindfold when he felt something odd. He sat up and spun into a crouch in the direction that he felt the sensation. _What was that…?_  His ears twitched at the miniscule sound of her breathing, so he launched forward into a grapple but snagged her by the hair instead. He yanked her hard to be pulled to him, earning a yelp from her and an elbow that he thwarted from connecting with his diaphragm. _I know I felt something…not sensed, but more like a wavering touch of something across my skin._ "That was sneaky of you," he growled at her and yanked hard on her hair to get her from squirming, adding, "But I'm getting bored with how easily I can catch you, Sofia."  _Now, do whatever you did again…_**

**She twisted his wrist and wriggled out of his grasp, and kicked him square in the gut, sending him to land hard on his back a few feet away. He recovered fast from the abruptness of her counter, and flipped to his feet. Then, the reverberating odd feeling ran across his skin, even through his cape and gi. _It's more compact now—!_ A swift kick to the back of his legs sent him to his knees and his arms were pulled harshly back to the point that his shoulders were going to pop with the knee in his back disabling him from moving at all.**

**"Is this more entertaining for you sensei!" his arms were pulled tauter, and he grunted, trying to resist, when the feeling crawled across him, more intense, even more tangible. He could only absently compare it to the reverberation felt when a tuning fork is struck and made to vibrate, both because of the sensation and dull sound it creates. This sensation had a fleeting sound that he couldn't even distinguish. "I kind of like you in this position; could get used to this," the smug growl was at his ear, and he felt the grip on one of his forearms slip. He took the advantage and snapped his wrist to grab her and toss her to the side. She rolled and thudded to a stop a few feet away from him.**

**Piccolo stood and recovered, able to get more of a handle on her position without the use of his acute hearing now. _Finally, kid. I wasn't going to last very long without you cheating. Heh, no one might be able to sense you or your ki, but I knew it had to give off some residue that could be at least felt._ The confident smirk quirked his lips. _This should be interesting…_**

* * *

 

**The only problem with Piccolo's theory was that the sensation was similar to the rippling of a pond; sure he could feel it, but where it was originating from wasn't clear. _Each wave decreases in feeling the further away I am from her, so this doesn't work unless I'm at a very close radius to her…Even if she was at full power the results would be the same._  He rationalized that he was still at a big disadvantage, and that the probability of winning the fight was slim to none. But still, he managed to find out something that no other person would have ever considered, and that in itself was a huge advantage. Sofia still wasn't aware of the secret point of this spar, and he intended to keep it that way.**

**The reverberating began to crawl up his skin again and Piccolo snapped back to attention, just in time to prevent Sofia from going through him with a well aimed punch to the jaw. She leapt and kicked him on the side of the face, and went into a frenzy of combos that Piccolo could only discern from how the sensation shifted from one side of him to the other. Even so, he could barely keep up with her speed.**

**_Damn…!_ ** **Both thought to themselves, and started to fight with all their energy. Sofia's rage was on the edge and she could barely control her aura from flaring up. Her next punch was enveloped in her hot ki, and just as she pulled back and went to drive it through, Piccolo's hand came up to solidly connect with the fist, catching it in his palm. His aura was thinly enveloping him. Both paused in their stances, panting and looking to end the fight. Finally, Piccolo used his free hand to tear the blindfold from his eyes and let it flutter to the ground before disappearing in a spark of light.**

**His onyx eyes were under narrowed lids, his scowl returning to its traditional niche. Sofia's brown orbs were ablaze, and her tightly set jaw only accentuated her cheekbones and the long hair that matted to her sweaty skin. "Now it's interesting, kid," he said to her in a gruff tone, adding as he let go of her fist, "You're able to harness your energy, but still use enough to give you the edge in a fight. Good." With that said, he stood straighter, turned on his heel, and strode away from her.**

**Sofia raised an eyebrow and stared at him. "Is that it?"**

**Without looking back at her and still striding away towards the palace, Piccolo answered, "That's it." Sofia phased in front of his path, scowl and mean-eyes going, and crossed her arms slowly. "Yes?" Piccolo grunted more than said, eyeing her calculatingly.**

**"You wanted me to cheat. Almost expected it. So…that was no spar. It was a test for you to ascertain something about me. I don't know what it is that you found out, and…I don't care, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you walk away without giving me a real fight. _Now._ " Sofia rationalized and challenged in her cool tone, her gaze cold as stone and ready to go.**

**Piccolo did not like being ordered to do anything. " _Now_ , huh?" in an instant, Piccolo phased and slammed Sofia to the ground. "Let's get one thing straight, brat! I tell you what you do, when you do it, and how many times you do it, GOT THAT!?" he let go of the back of her hair and stood from his kneeling position next to her prone form. **

**Sofia bit her lip, wondering why everything he said sounded like pseudo sexy talk to her today, willed away the blush that his hot breath coursing down her neck had caused and stood up. "First one to hit the floor loses…Green Bean!"**

**Piccolo turned to her, and gave her a slow once over. "Hmph. You never learn," and with that, both, phased out, stood across from each other, and flew at each other, ensuing the spar.**

* * *

 

**Piccolo stretched his arms up above his head and heard his back pop as he strode up the steps of the palace and into the main room with the purple-draped bed. Cracking his knuckles audibly, he stopped to glance over his shoulder pad at the sulking sparring partner that stomped her way up the steps.**

**Grunting in shrouded smugness, Piccolo faced the kitchen and went in to get a drink of water. Sofia glared hotly at his back under mussed hair and petulant scowl as he disappeared into the cozy kitchen. _Bitch…hmph!_  She grumbled under her breath and kicked her tattered sneakers off and left them strewn as she leapt onto the plush bed and sighed. **

**Piccolo leaned against the fridge door and gulped down the other half of his water and tossed the empty bottle into the trash, finding Sofia's sulk very humorous. _All talk, and she couldn't beat me,_  he grunted, and continued his thought,  _Neither of us can win. Heh, we kept crossing our energy attacks, canceling each other out, only to throw our biggest attacks and blow each other into a draw…I can see the frustration, but, I'm to the point that it's inconsequential. She's progressing better than Gohan ever could. I'm twice as strong now than I was back then. All the ends justify the means, I guess…_ Next thing he knew, Piccolo shouted for her attention out in the main room. "Hey kid!"**

**_KID…_ ** **"Grr, what is it, Namek?" she hollered back, not about to move from her place on the plush bed, where she laid with her arms tucked behind her head, glaring at the ceiling. A certain scent began to waft across her senses… _Oh god. I forgot he slept here!_  She sat up on the bed, grabbed the pillow that was closest to the side he had been sleeping on earlier, and found herself inhaling his rugged musk like a starved fangirl. Her head swam from the scintillating power of his scent.**

**In the kitchen, Piccolo grunted and managed to ignore her petulant tone. He opened the fridge door he had been leaning on and inquired back to her, "What do you want?"**

**In a wistful, hormone-induced haze, Sofia muttered, "Namekian Cock," pause. "…!"**

**Hearing something about a Handemian lock, Piccolo shouted, "What?"**

**"…! Uh, could I just have a something to drink. That'll be fine…" The blush burned her face and her body broke out in a sweat that caressed every fangirl goosebump.**

**Looking into the fridge and seeing only one thing to drink, he decided to impersonate her and be difficult, just to get on her nerves _—_ and get payback for her past offenses _—_  more. "Like what?"**

**Sofia was about to shout her answer, when his irritating tone registered in her mind. Glaring daggers at the kitchen doorway, she decided she could be just as much of a smart-ass, since in her mind she practically invented the art. "OH _—_ I don't know, hmmm _—_ Oh, how 'bout water? Oh no-no, wait, water. No _—_ fuck that! Water _—_ wait-wait! Some good ass water is what I need _—_ wait! Scratch that…" Piccolo scowled at how his plan had been turned against him, and tried to cut in for her to drop it, but was savagely thwarted. "…how 'bout water in a glass! Yeah _—_ no, no _—_ water with ice! That's the ticket _—_ oh wait, hell no _—_ how 'bout lime-flavored water _—_ shit no, some wat _—_ ER!" She was swiftly cut off by the cold water bottle that smacked into the back of her head and plopped onto the bed. Glaring over her shoulder at a casually doorframe-leaning Piccolo who stared at her with gruff intensity, she hopped on the bed and turned to face him, snatching the bottle up and ripping the top off. "Being a smart-ass just isn't your forte, Piccylow," she smiled sweetly before gulping some water down.**

**Pushing off the doorframe, he strode over to her with a blank semblance, and stood a couple of paces away from her. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he shot the patented lasers from his eyes and turned the water in her bottle into explosive vapor, soaking much of her hair, face, and shirt. His smugness only came through his dark eyes, and Sofia couldn't help but find him incredibly handsome at that moment. "One day, I'll rip your ears off and make them the charms of your own personal necklace, then take a picture. 'Green Bean wonder of the world collects his own ears' they'll say, and 'wasn't he some sort of wannabe big shot?' 'Oh no, he hung out with trees and trained in deserts', then, 'doesn't he only live off of water? Well, someone who lives off of water and lives in a desert must be a special camper…" Sofia rambled on sarcastically as she stood and went around the bed in direction to the bathroom, leaving Piccolo with a raised browridge and crossed arms in the main room staring at her curiously. After slamming the sliding door shut, Sofia was able to look at herself in the mirror, and coat it with a thin film of nosebleed. Pinching her nose to thwart the next burst of fangirl glee, she tried not to hyperventilate. _That musk, that voice, that bodieeeeeeeeeee! And those lips…I shiver just thinking of him, and when I'm in the room with him—! What is wrong with me today? I mean a NOSEBLEED Master Roshi style? Then feeling like I'm going to ignite in flame every time he looks, speaks, and let alone touches me?_  She huffed in her mind, and decided that she was in need of another shower.**

**She peeled out of the remnants of her clothes and started the shower spray at Arctic stream, making the temperature in the small room drop. Piccolo, meanwhile, grumbled about the insanity of females before deciding to train alone for a bit just outside from the palace steps. "I'm glad I don't have the stigma of gender, or else I would've lost my mind ages ago…" he grunted to himself before going into his kata practice.**

* * *

 

**"Jeez it's hot in here…" Sofia grumbled as she opened the sliding door and exited the icy tomb that was once the bathroom. Clad in a sleeveless belly shirt and matching panty shorts, she pulled her hair up into a tight bun before sitting on the cold tile floor of the main room and sighing from its perpetual chill as she laid back. "No matter what, this floor is always cool," she mused to herself with her eyes closed, draping her forearm over them to block out the stark white of the chamber.**

**"Marble is always cool," Sofia startled, but didn't open her eyes or let her forearm fall from its resting place.**

**"I didn't here you come back…"**

**"You wouldn't. Learn to keep up your guard up on and off the battlefield," he gruffly chided her.**

**"Yeah, how 'bout you remove the tree that's firmly wedged in your ass and relax for once," she scolded and flipped to her feet just before the lasers from his eyes could shock her. When she turned to face him, her eyes went wide and she immediately face-faulted to the floor.**

**Piccolo only grunted at the reaction before looking himself up and down, then back to her. "What?" He didn't see what her problem was; wasn't the first time he'd come back from training with his gi tattered and dirty, and certainly not the first time he was out of his weighted gear. She was acting extra odd. "Is this some stupid female problem, or are you just trying to piss me off!?" he growled and haughtily crossed his arms over the tattered shirt that barely covered his bulging pecs.**

**Baring her fangs in a disdainful sneer usually sported by Piccolo himself, she came to her feet and began a verbal tirade the likes Piccolo had never been subjected to. "MUST YOU KEEP PROVOKING ME WITH _—_ WITH _—_? GAHH!  _Dammit_ ,  _Namek_ …Are you aware of how you stink? You smell like armpit mixed in with sand and B.O.! Your stench has been making me gag ALL day! Jesus, when's the last time you even changed clothes? Even Kakarot has enough sense to change his damned clothes and bathe the vicious stink off his body, and he's mentally challenged! Why don't you air out this chamber from your abominating reek by putting that tattered mess out of it's misery and burning it out back, and then step into a shower and marinate in soap for a couple of days, you damn slob!" was Sofia's ardent berate and sexually frustrated scoff at the expense of Piccolo's naïve position before her.**

**Staring at her with a blank expression for seconds after her tirade ended, Piccolo realized that he had no rebuttal. "Fine!" Piccolo pulled his tattered and torn gi shirt off and threw it to the floor by her feet. "If it'll get you to shut up and leave me be then FINE!" he gruffly said as he kicked his raw-hide moccasins off to land on the discarded shirt. Pausing in his abrupt actions _—_  with his hands on the blue sash he was about to undo _—_  after seeing the expression of conflicting emotions and a vibrant blush wash over her expression, Piccolo grunted in aggravation. "Dammit, brat! What's your problem now!? You wanted me to put my gi out of its misery so I might as well do it in front of you and spare myself any further aggravation _—_ "**

**"YOU GREEN PRICK! YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A RISE OUT OF ME ALL GODDAMMED DAY! TAKE YOUR FUCKING NASTY GI AND SHOVE IT IN YOUR EARS, YOU ARROGANT TEASE!" Sofia roared at him with her face contorted in rage, heat, frustration, and embarrassment before swiftly dodging past him to go through the dimensional line to her quarters, throwing herself under her comforter and cocooning herself in the heavy material, blocking out all intrusions to her frustrated brooding _—_  her frenzied shout managed to thwart the rampant nosebleed that threatened to shoot out at the sight of his exposed torso.**

**Left in the aftermath totally clueless, Piccolo growled in annoyance and discarded himself of his remaining attire, throwing it with the rest before turning them to ashes with a curt ki blast. Muttering obscenities under his breath, he stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Proceeding to step into the tub before pulling the curtain shut and starting the shower spray with a gush of lukewarm water, Piccolo frowned at the bottle of soap after opening it and sniffing the scent it held. Flowery fruity wasn't what he wished to smell of, so he opted for just rinsing off and letting the water beat down on him and cascade down his sculpted physique. _She sounded like that spoiled Saiyan monkey! Damn brat… She was off her game today. Even blindfolded I could tell she was distracted. So damn touchy too._  Piccolo paused in thought and growled at himself.  _Here she is monopolizing my thoughts again! The little bit—hmm, guess not so little anymore. She's sprouted at least a foot since we've been in here. She's shaped up considerably too… Dammit—! I'm doing it again!_  Piccolo clenched his jaw and shook his head, sending water to splash against tile and porcelain and sending his antennae to quiver and bob with his movement. He rinsed his face and rubbed excess water off before opening his eyes and continuing to rub the cascading water across his chest, down his abdomen, and to the sides of his apex to wash down his toned thighs and muscular legs, and brought his hands back up his body to rinse his underarms and rub up his neck and down his throat.  _I want to meditate. I'll force myself into my deep consciousness and see if I can stir up the images and voice from last time. I have no recollection of it, nor do I see how it could impede me from my meditation. Time to force the answer out…_  with that, Piccolo tipped his head up into the cascading spray and parted his lips to take some water in, only to gargle it and spit it out; his way of brushing his immaculate teeth. Turning the shower off and tugging the curtain open, he sent a burst of ki outwards and dried himself off before materializing into a new gi. He opted to stay barefoot and without his weighted gear to put himself into a state of utter relaxation before his planned meditation time.**

**'Forcing anything will only cause complications. Why not let it just unveil itself overtime?' his counterpart remarked aloofly for the first time in the day.**

**The cold chill of the tiled floor beneath his feet was a soothing welcome to the annoyance that was rising from Nail's sheer telepathy. Piccolo mentally scoffed, walking out of the bathroom and deciding to sit lotus style on the floor at the foot of the bed. 'Today was going so well. Why don't you keep your thoughts to yourself? I didn't ask your opinion…as if I ever ask your opinion.'**

**'So callous. As your counterpart I'm entitled to speaking up when you're going to do something that could jeopardize the both of us,' Nail clipped back sourly.**

**'Well the deal was that you were just along for the ride. Your opinion or say doesn't determine any of my actions. If I want any of your say I will ask you for it,' Piccolo tersely replied. 'I highly doubt that wanting to get to the bottom of why I can't meditate will jeopardize us both, so quit exaggerating and keep quiet!'**

**'Humph!' Nail gave a rare grunt, and fell silent, allowing Piccolo to crack his neck and pop his back before getting comfortable in his meditation pose. Preparing himself for the mental exertion the task would take, he inhaled and exhaled, closing his eyes and relaxing his body.**

**_Okay…maybe instead of forcing it, I'll let my senses pull me into deep consciousness like last time…_ **

* * *

 

**_"Faint light filtered in around her. The glow existed in unrequited darkness, where even the shadows the faint light cast were cold and uninviting. Her surroundings began to focus into tangibility, and she realized that the glowing light came from various candles scattered around the circumference of a post-less and board-less bed. The jagged walls of the dark concave cave were the perches for most of the candles, as was the smoothened rock floor she could faintly feel beneath her feet._ **

**… _where am I…_**

**_Her surroundings seemed to be held in a space of time that differed greatly from her previous dreams. The fact that she was included in the scene made her aware of her participation, but unaware of the meaning. Focus intensifying before her, she realized that there was a figure resting languidly on the bed. The piercing crimson eyes seemed to look through her. The candlelight made her skin glow to an almost statuesque gold tint, and her garnet eyes flickered alluringly. Kyouran seemed to be out of her element to her. Gone were her usual white gi and armor, and only a flimsy robe that could be scarcely considered a kimono covered her up, exposing her long neck and shapely shoulders._ **

**… _what is this? Can it be a memory?...No, it feels like something else…_**

**_As her attention focused on the demon destroyer before her, she felt the rest of herself submerge from the surroundings. Alarmed, she tried to fight the feeling, but was quickly overtaken by it. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the hard surface of the bed, but she couldn't move._ **

**…**   ** _I'm her now...I'm just a spectator from her point of view…_**

**_Sofia thought how this is what Nail probably felt like. She felt the surroundings around her. The robe slipping off her shoulder, the soft warmth the candlelight created on her skin from the amount that illuminated the scene, and most of all, she felt the other presence that seemed to be watching her from the shadows._ **

**_"Don't just watch me…" Kyouran spoke in an uncharacteristically soft tone to the other presence shrouded in the heavy darkness, adjusting her weight to one side, as if indicating she wasn't threatened._ **

**_She heard a low rumbling sound, as if the figure was indicating he was pleased, and she felt the figure's gaze intensify on her as it stepped from the darkness closer to her. Sofia felt Kyouran's expression change as her eyes fluttered and her body tensed…in excitement?..._ **

**_The tall figure still had shadows playing off his form, but his eyes were shining from the faint firelight, giving them an alluring gleam of polished obsidian… a scintillating gaze that sent shivers to the deepest core in Kyouran's body. The candlelight dimmed lower as the figure came closer and Kyouran's heartbeat increased, but was only evident from the soft but deep breaths she took. As if the space between them would never end, Kyouran sat up more, leaning forward on her knees with her hands splayed gingerly on the bed at her sides._ **

**_The hard bed shifted under the mysterious figure's weight. Kyouran remained still, as if she tried not to anticipate what could happen next in fear of growing anxious. The now dim candlelight flickered as if at the end of their wicks, but managed to illuminate the figure's bare chest as it teasingly peeked from the robe that was threatening to fall open if tugged even delicately. The bronze glow of the figure's exposed skin was a trick played by the light, as was the golden radiance of Koyuran's skin. Kyouran looked into the deep abyss of the eyes that seemed captivated by her but could only see her reflection in those mirror-like orbs. She was almost eager to touch the figure's bare skin, but was shocked when the figure trailed his strong fingertips up her arm and over the sleeve of her flimsy robe, denting the skin and causing her to stiffen at the action._ **

**_Chuckling under his breath hoarsely, the figure continued to let his fingertips graze over her exposed shoulder, then wander teasingly to trace her defined collarbone all the way to the dip of her clavicle. With sudden possessiveness, the figure grasped the part of the robe that still hung on her opposite shoulder and tore it, exposing her supple cleavage and earning a surprised tremble from the female demon._ **

**_Kyouran's body began to ignite with the rough and firm touch of the other as it trailed all over her erogenous areas, and incited gasps and sighs from her that if the firm arousal pressing against her lower inner thigh was any indication— were inciting pleasure for the mysterious figure. The pleasure of his actions caused her body to throb and grow whet with excitement, and her eyes began to glaze over with lust that was subtly mirrored in the dark pools that gazed at her._ **

**_Sofia felt a change occur. Her conscious began to grow heavy, sinking within Kyouran's to the point where her thoughts were numbing and ebbing away into dormancy. Her vision and perspective began to blur; her surroundings dimmed and went out of focus completely, but not before she felt the arousal pressed at Kyouran's thigh grind lustfully against it and the hot breath trickle over her neck and ear as the mysterious figure and soon-to-be lover finally spoke in a hoarse and almost primal whisper._ **

**_"_ ** **… _I will make you scream my name very soon, Nisou Kyouran…"_**

**_And then her conscious wavered and dove into the deep shadows of lust, want, and burning desire that had mounted to an outcome a long time coming…"_ **

* * *

 

**He pushed past the deepest recess of his consciousness when the sudden flicker of a memory fluttered fleetingly in his mind and vanished, leaving him with more questions than answers for his predicament. Piccolo let himself be pulled deeper into the recess, until he hit a proverbial wall that seemed to have lifted just to keep him out of what that space in his mind housed. Growling, he struck his fist against the solid blockade. _Since when do I get blocked out by my own damn mind!_ He noticed how his residual self felt stifled in this part of his consciousness, and growled trying to piece together what could have caused this.  _Kami…that old bastard definitely has something to do with this…he probably hid this technique from me and my sire. Damn him…_  feeling something tug at his thoughts, Piccolo looked around himself.  _Wait…this part of my mind is solely reserved to me…even the old man can't get this far and block me out_. Piccolo clenched his eyes shut, determined to will something to appear from the blockade, believing that he was in control and that he wouldn't let his mind play tricks on him.**

**Then suddenly, a force slammed into his residual self and blew him away. Getting his bearings, Piccolo watched as the blockade solidified and sealed itself totally from him, with an eerie illuminating aura scintillating powerfully in front of it that would not allow Piccolo to even get close. Standing, Piccolo stared, totally perplexed by this turn his own mind took. _Something really doesn't want me to know what's going on…meditation is how I'm able to channel my mind and see things, so it's preventing me from even that…_**

**Piccolo snapped himself back and stepped through the haze of his consciousness onto the central bridge that divided his from Nail's spiritual core. Nail lofted out of his consciousness, with a wry expression to the other's begrudging annoyance. As he was about to speak, Piccolo cut him off.**

**'Shut up! I don't want to hear it,' he growled darkly and looked angrily off to the void that existed under and to both sides of the central bridge.**

**Nail sighed and his comical look melted from his features. 'So?' he asked apathetically and crossed his arms casually.**

**Piccolo huffed and glared intensely at him. 'I'm being blocked out by my own mind,' he grumbled derisively, then got hold of his temper and spoke apathetically, 'have you ever heard of something like this happening?'**

**Bowing his head in acceptance of finally being asked for his opinion, Nail responded in his leveled tenor tone reminiscent to the first time he met Piccolo on Namek when he had been left for dead by Frieza. 'No. I've never heard of a case where Namekians or a specific Namekian was prohibited from a recess of his mind by an invisible source. You are the first. Your circumstances are far more unique than those of normal Namekians, so I'm afraid the answer to your problem is one you have to figure out.'**

**Piccolo glowered at his counterpart and crossed his arms tightly. 'So in essence, a simple 'I don't know' would've sufficed!'**

**Nail sighed and glared at Piccolo, then both went into an argument about the futility of speaking to each other civilly, not knowing that they were about to be interrupted in a most scandalized way…**

* * *

 

**She stood in the doorway, unbeknownst to Piccolo as he was in deep argument with Nail in the central bridging of their consciousness. Her hair was mussed and shrouded her expression as she almost contemplatively stepped closer to the unaware Namek. She was drawn to him, completely zoned out from the rest of the world as she languidly concentrated her primal urge and the calling of his body to hers.**

**Piccolo stomped with a dismissing air through the haze into his conscious, leaving Nail to sneer at his stubbornness and call him a spoiled hatchling before he was buffed by Piccolo's commanding shout. 'You and that old man are about as useful as a blind, death, and mute human! Might as well wake up the brat and ask her if _she_  would know someth _—_ '**

**Piccolo cut himself off as his body suddenly recoiled from a foreign touch and weight that was placing itself in his lap and draping over his shoulders. Snapping his eyes open and parting his lips in a shocked grunt just as Sofia's face closed in on his, Piccolo's body jerked in surprise and stiffened at the close contact. His grunt was driven back down his throat as her lips fixed over his, and he flinched at the intensity of her actions and tried to pull away. Sofia's hands wandered lasciviously up the nape of Piccolo's neck to trail just under the junction of his neck, ears, and jaw line, causing Piccolo to freeze and his eyes to grow wide in shock. He was unable to struggle against the prickling sensation that fluttered all over his body as she sensually pressed her thumbs to massage the spot just under and behind his earlobes on his neck. His struggling decreasing to certain tremors of movement, Piccolo's eyes fluttered.**

**His thoughts were muddled and overrun by the sensations overtaking his body. The only thing he could scrape enough focus for was the massaging of the sensual but unfamiliar erogenous spot on either side of his neck, the lips caressing overpoweringly against his, and the pressing of her almost feverishly warm body against his. Piccolo's back sunk rigidly against the footboard of the purple bed as his arms stopped their astounded spasms and jerks, and his eyes finally fluttered shut and gave into the alien sensations overtaking him.**

**His hard mouth went slack and his lips parted, allowing her tongue to sensually caress his lips before plunging possessively into his mouth. A rumble hiccupped in Piccolo's chest, and his tongue flickered back and came to accept the impassioned kiss as his hands trembled to her lower back. Pressing her almost crushingly to him, he deepened the kiss and turned the tables by exploring her soft warm mouth and eliciting muffled moans of approval.**

**Sofia's body trembled against the rock-hard chest she was being crushed against. Her thighs tensed and squeezed his hips as she began to straddle his lap. Piccolo ran his fingers through the back of her hair and gripped her tightly to him as he forcefully parted from the kiss to catch his breath, only to be overtaken by a shudder down his spine and to his deepest core from the lips that latched around one of his bobbing and trembling antennae. Gasping hoarsely, he felt the prickling sensation raise his skin in gooseflesh as the assault on his sensually-receptive antennae and the massaging of the spot on his neck drove him into a feral physical yearning that was unnatural to him. He struggled to get control, and succeeded when the hand that had been laced in the back of her hair trailed down her spine and caused her to shudder and moan, creating pleasurable vibrations against the bulbous tip of his trapped antenna. She parted her lips, freeing the delicate appendage, and got pulled into a bruising kiss that left them both breathless.**

**Her body ached for what she was unable to have of him. A furious flush overtook her enraptured features, clashing brilliantly against the purple tint trailing Piccolo's heated features. Piccolo's hands began to awkwardly fondle her supple body as their tongues battled sensually for dominance. He felt her body heat and shift from his touch, but his nervous and astounded fingers and hands could not find an erogenous spot equal to the pleasurable area she was rubbing passionate circles against with her thumbs. That is, until one of his hands trailed across the back of her thigh and traced the curves that led to her nether regions hidden from his inexperienced roaming.**

**He had felt her body grow the warmest there, pressed against his crotch; curious, his eyes fluttered to half lids so he could watch her expression as his inexperienced but inquisitive fingers found a discreet path housed between her shapely legs. Sofia's stifled mewl of approval hummed against his ravenous tongue. A blush burned her delicate cheekbones as his fingers caressed her through the cloth of her scant undergarment. Piccolo's eyes flickered with intense interest at the sound, and of the feel of her body as it writhed in rapture against him. His fingers pressed against the grove hidden by the cloth of her panties and dragged slowly across it, inciting a jerk and shiver from her and the sensual massaging at his neck to turn into denting pressure and rubbing. He choked a grunt and bit down on her lower lip as his body stiffened from the harsh and jarring heat that ignited at the back of his throat. He suddenly felt like the sensation was choking him. His throat began to clench painfully, and his mouth went bitterly dry, even with her playful tongue exploring and tracing the soft pillow under his tongue and the peaks of his pointed fangs.**

**Piccolo tried to inhale through his nose, but his breathing was too erratic to allow him a hearty breath. Even with his body panicking from the sudden inexplicable discomfort, Piccolo's fingers still trailed and drew circles against her most erogenous secret. His fingers felt damp moisture seep through the cloth from his ministrations. Freezing in place and choking out a breath after parting forcefully from their never-ending kiss, Piccolo tried to ask her why she was suddenly wet there when she bit his lip with authority and plunged her tongue to caress the back of his mouth.**

**The pressure of her thumbs grew excruciating. His throat clenched as her tongue almost touched the back of his throat and suddenly released as her thumbs dragged up and then pressed down his sensitive point. Colors flashed in his mind, and a sense of intense elation washed over his body. Immediately a wave of relief washed down over his tense and uncomfortable features, causing him to pull away from the deep kiss panting.**

**He gasped huskily as he tried to catch his breath, "Whaht possessehd youh toh do thaht…!?" and finally noticed something wasn't right.**

**Sofia's breath was ragged, causing her to gasp through her parted lips, and her body was still shivering from his previous foreplay, but her eyes were lowered shut…they had been shut the entire time.**

**"Sofia?" he voiced hoarsely so she would look at him. Her eyes fluttered to drowsy half lids, but the glazed and foggy gaze that looked back at him wasn't Sofia's.**

**The crimson gaze gleamed of lust, giving it a garnet luster similar to that of the pendant resting over her swelling bosoms. Piccolo became alarmed by the eerie stare and unfamiliar eyes. "Sofia!" he shouted in a gruff but ragged tone and shook her in his arms. Her eyes fluttered as if coming out of a deep sleep and slowly opened to focus on him, now back to their familiar chocolate depths.**

**She yawned quietly and blinked lazily up at him. Slowly, confusion wandered into her expressive eyes. "What...? What's wrong?" she said in a sleepy daze, and absently stared at his still slightly flushed countenance and ragged breathing.**

**His body stiffening in stunned belief, he stared intensely at her as if she was insane. "What do you mean what's wrong? You…! You _—_ " Piccolo paused trying to find the word that explained what she had done, but ended up looking at her with perplexed skepticism.**

**"What are you talking about? Why are you in my bed? Are you losing it _—_?" Sofia began to snap out of her dreamy daze and struggled in his arms. Suddenly becoming aware of her surroundings, she froze and looked at him in aghast confusion.  _This isn't my room…and I'm not in bed…_  Her body still throbbed dully from their previous wanton actions and she felt questionably aroused, realizing that her skin was warm and tingly, and her undergarments were damp with excited moisture. **

**The fact that she was pressed so close to his recoiling form only intensified her mortification and caused her to scurry away from him and land hard on her rear. Piccolo tried to stand quickly and regain his poise, but staggered as a wave of dizziness overtook him. He felt suddenly awkward being in his body, and he stared down at his shaking hands. Before he could regain his attention on her, Sofia ran into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Piccolo stared absently at the door, and then went back to trying to right the feel of his body to that of normalcy.**

**'Piccolo! Are you alright?' Nail's words were finally breaking through the chaotic haze that blocked him off from Piccolo's consciousness.**

**Grabbing hold of the nearest bedpost to steady himself, Piccolo growled furiously, 'Of course not, dumbass! I can't get my bearings, and I have no fucking clue what just happened!'**

**Ignoring the insult, Nail pressed on. 'I do not know either; you blocked me out. It was almost as if your whole mind shut down and you blacked out. I was worried; it was almost like when you went unconscious on Namek.'**

**Standing straight and balancing back on his feet, Piccolo grunted. 'I'm fine. At least I think I am…' his intense features tensed as he looked at the shut bathroom door. _What is going on…?_**

**Meanwhile, Sofia leaned against the door and shook in complete mortified horror as she realized she had done something indescribable while she was totally unconscious. Her mind had been clouded with a sleep-induced fog and she didn't remember anything up until when he called her name and woke her. But from the state she woke up in, and the stunned speechlessness Piccolo was in, she could frame together that whatever happened was all her doing. _But why? I was asleep! I never sleepwalk, and even if I did I wouldn't go around molesting people!_  Then visions began to flutter across her mind's eye.  _Wait…the dream, no…it wasn't a dream…Kyouran and that figure were...!_ Sofia tensed against the door as it all slowly flooded back to her.  _Was I acting out the dream on Piccolo? Oh my God! I molested him while acting out a smut vision of my past life and her shadowy twin star!_  Sofia paled and felt her stomach drop to the cold tiled floor. Her knees were shaking and her body still burned with the aftereffects of unquenched arousal.  _How the hell am I going to explain myself?_**

**As if to answer her unspoken question, the door was unceremoniously slammed open and she tripped backward from the loss of leverage. Piccolo wretched her upper arm as he gripped it tightly. "Explain yourself, _now_!" he hissed in an acid tone. Sofia's eyes went as wide as dinner plates as she wretched her arm free and inched away from him. Piccolo decided not to go after her, still trying to right his balance back to normal. "I said explain yourself!" he roared at her in an enraged gruff rasp, feeling his energy level spike from his anger. **

**Completely embarrassed and feeling dirty under his glaring gaze and rabid scowl, Sofia's face burned red as she attempted to stutter out an explanation. "I-I was-sl-sleepwalking-I was dreaming-and-uh-and I _—_ " she nervously rambled as she tried not to look him in the eyes, fidgeting under his gaze. **

**"ENOUGH!" his shout made the anxiety pool in her stomach. "You..! You attacked me and tried to-to…gah! What did you do to me?! I feel different, like you threw me off balance and corrupted my body from feeling right," he growled disdainfully at her, adding with much shrouded concern, "and why are you wet there?"**

**When she saw him pointing to her crotch, her jaw dropped and she gasped a shocked utterance. "Wait! How the hell do you know I'm _—_ " she paused and gave him a look of utter incredulity. "YOU WERE TOUCHING ME THERE?" she hollered in a high pitch and suddenly felt like the ground was going to shallow her from how beseeched with incredulous concern and embarrassment she was. **

**Piccolo's expression contorted to shock and slight horror as he realized that she wasn't the only one who had…done that. His eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped into an aghast sneer as he tried to stutter a reply. "Well _—_! I _—_ it's just you were _—_ DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT! What you did was _—_ "**

**"I MOLESTED YOU! OK?! I'M SORRY! I-I WASN'T IN CONTROL _—_ I WAS ASLEEP AND _—_ AND IT JUST HAPPENED, OK?" she shouted flushed-faced at him which caused him to be assaulted with a series of sweatdrops. "BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T ONE-SIDED, AND YOU RECIPROCATED MY ADVANCES! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!" she hollered and tried to turn away from him and escape to her room, but was grabbed by her hand and prevented from leaving.**

**"You're not running away that easily! I command you to give me a straight answer; no more incoherent babble!" he shouted and pulled her closer to prevent her from phasing out if given the chance.**

**Sofia spun towards him and threw his grip away from her hand. "What about you, you bastard! You obviously know more than me about what happened, and you even managed to forget your asexuality long enough to do your own exploring on _MY_ body!"**

**"BUT YOU STARTED IT, YOU SHE-DEVIL! YOU bombarded me with YOUR lascivious touches, and YOU crammed YOUR tongue down my throat! So YOU'RE responsible for all of this, now EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" Piccolo's vehement roar echoed in the acoustic-friendly chamber as his glare turned to spiteful ice focusing solely on her.**

**"LIKE HELL I WILL, YOU TWO-FACED FUCK!" she roared right back at him and swiftly turned for her exit.**

**Piccolo growled in exasperation and grabbed her arm. When she wretched it free and tried to elbow him back, he swiftly snatched both of her arms up and held them against her chest, thwarting any attack, and pinned her against him. Sofia struggled against his iron hold. "Dammit Piccolo, let me GO!" she snarled at him and tried throwing her head back for a head butt, but Piccolo anticipated the action and swung his head out of the way, then tightened his grip to make his point.**

**"You're not running away like a spoiled little bitch until you tell me what is going on, dammit!" he spat close to her ear, shaking her when her struggling almost managed to get her a wiggle-out of his hold.**

**Sofia knew there was no way of getting out this kind of hold. She couldn't even use her telekinesis because she wasn't facing him, and she wasn't powerful enough to direct the power without visually guiding it yet. She desperately wanted to get away from him and find somewhere to think and be utterly alone at the moment. _Damn him! Why can't he just let me the fuck go!_  She barked in her mind and struggled even more, this time using her feet to distract him. She stepped as hard as she could on his foot, and only got a grunt of annoyance and another barked order to explain herself. Sofia had had it. Yelling in anger, she kicked her foot as far back as she could until it connected with something solid. In an instant, Piccolo's hold slipped away from her and she staggered forward as a low thud echoed in the room. **

**Without turning around, she realized that the low thud was also accompanied by pained grunts and wheezing gasps. Whipping around to face Piccolo, she found him huddled on the tile floor, his face dark with pain and his hands holding his injured spot. His eyes clenched shut as a specific wave of pain almost caused him to keel over and throw up.**

**Sofia just stared before concern snapped her to his side. "How hard did I hit you?" was her incredulous question. Piccolo looked up at her and growled for her not to touch him, stark and shocked pain still etching his usually scowling features.**

**Sofia's mind was spinning with so many questions as it was and now one very surprising one popped out over the rest. _…Where did I hit him?_**

**"Piccolo, let me help you up and to the bed."**

**Piccolo recoiled from her touch and bared his fangs. "What did you do to me!?" he growled menacingly and added, "You've interfered with me for the last time!" With that, he tried to pull himself up, but only managed to stand in a crouch. It was then that Sofia noticed the area he was protecting from any further pain. Her eyes grew wide, but the realization still didn't dawn fast enough as Piccolo agonizingly stood and hobbled to the bed.**

**Almost losing his footing as he tried to get on the mattress, Sofia staggered over and helped him lay on his side. He glared at her with suspicious eyes, but didn't say anything and ignored her as he tried to will the pain to subside.**

**"After millions of times getting kicked there, it hurts like hell this time…" he mumbled dejectedly to himself and shut one eye as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed.**

**Sofia, who had been standing next to the bed staring blankly at him, suddenly sunk down to sit on the bed as his words hit her. "Uh-um _—_ you said you felt thrown off balance, and just not right…?" she asked slowly and explicitly avoided his gaze.**

**Piccolo glowered at her, able to focus more as the pain began to ebb, and answered in a terse bark, "Yes! Glad to see you can scream _and_  listen."**

**Sofia looked at him warily. "Um…I think I know why you feel that way…" she mumbled in a hushed tone.**

**His gaze boring into her, he slashed her verbally. "Then stop being a nervous ditz and spit it out already!" When her expression only darkened with a meek blush, Piccolo knew something he really wouldn't like was going to come out of her mouth.**

**"Piccolo…you should look for yourself," she remarked with such embarrassment that she couldn't tear her eyes away from the purple comforter.**

**Cocking a brow, Piccolo stared at her for several seconds before staring down at himself. Gingerly pulling his light blue sash away and tugging open his plum gi pants, Piccolo stared down at his crotch…and shouted a roar that echoed in the distance of the white void out for miles.**

**" _WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME!_?" Sofia flinched from the shouts and his sputtering left him flushed-faced as he gawked into his pants and stared at the foreign appendage and it's accessories fused to his once sex-less groin.**

**"I have no idea what I did or how it happened, Piccolo, I SWEAR!" she sat up and faced him completely as she cried out emphatically.**

**He tore his gaze from the shocking sight and focused on her. "But you know what this means, don't you…" he remarked blankly.**

**Nodding warily, she replied as factually as she could muster. "You're not really…asexual anymore. You have m-male genitals now. I don't know how…but I guess our…encounter caused you to change."**

**Piccolo's blank features did nothing to quell the sense of embarrassment that recoiled in her features. His blank expression melted into the iron semblance that he built to keep everyone, especially people like her, out. "When you…when you were kissing me, you were pressing your thumbs against a sensitive spot on either side of my neck. It soon turned into excruciating pain…and it felt like my throat was closing in on itself _—_ " he saw how his explanation caused a spark of realization to flicker in her brown orbs.**

**"Wait _—_ If that's the truth _—_ "**

**"What the hell do you mean 'if that's the truth'!?" he cut in as his temper began to wear strong.**

**"I mean that if that's how it went, maybe _—_ maybe our session," she blushed at the word, "well _—_ that maybe when I 'stimulated' that spot it caused you to become sexual…I mean, since your asexual reproduction occurs in the back of your throat. I could have possibly sealed it,"  _like in Delta Damioh's fic,_  "and then since I canceled out your asexual reproduction it forced you to acquire a gender..." pausing, she tried a smile as she jokingly remarked, "well, at least it isn't a vagina, heheh-ah-heh…"**

**Piccolo's glower cut her amusement off. _It makes some sense_ , she figured as she gave him a sidelong glance. As she stared at him, she saw his lips pull into a slight frown that matched his furrowed brow line. Curious, she couldn't help but whisper blankly, "What's wrong?"**

**Piccolo looked at her with the perplexed expression. "Will it hurt every time I'm kicked there?"**

**Sofia's eyes shrunk to pinpoints. "Yeah, A LOT!" she replied and laid on her side, facing him. He pushed himself to rest on his elbows and huffed at her reply.**

**"Great…another weakness to guard in battle," he almost sulked and glared intensely at her. Their eyes met, and Sofia was disappointed when he pulled his gaze away. Piccolo looked at her wrist, and saw the thin purple bruise that laced around it from having grabbed her earlier. She sat up to leave, when he stopped her by clearing his throat. Facing him again, he mumbled, "I _—_ don't want anyone else to know about this…"**

**Her eyes crinkled in understanding. "Yeah, you wouldn't want to be challenged to whip it out and have a pissin' contest with your opponent," she grinned at Piccolo's disdainful sneer and laughed when he scoffed angrily.**

**"Must it always be mating with your feeble mind? You'd think you were a sick puppy in heat." Sofia was about to answer back, when she noticed the veiled amusement dancing in his eyes.**

**She laughed, and poked him in the chest as she said, "Takes one to know one, Green Bean."**

**Piccolo snorted and slapped her hand away a little harder than he intended to, and threw her off balance on the plump bed to land hard against his chest with her nose centimeters away from his. They both stared wide-eyed at each other, and simultaneously wondered why it was they always ended up in such a position.**

**Sofia absently wondered how passionate their session had been and whether or not he had reciprocated as fervently as she could imagine herself being. Staring at his handsome face, she decided that she wanted to relive the encounter, but wide awake and totally conscious of her actions. Piccolo found himself once again staring at her lips, then trailing up to gaze into her characteristically expressive eyes. He sensed what she intended to do, but decided to not fight it this time. Sofia leaned in and closed the little distance between them, and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. When she parted, she was surprised to have Piccolo sit up on his elbows and, slowly inch closer for another. Not at all minding the silent request, she kissed him again, this time with eager passion. Piccolo slowly kissed her back, letting his lips part with hers and for the languid exploration of each other's warm mouths to begin. Sofia leaned her upper body against his, draping her arms over his broad shoulders as she deepened the kiss. Piccolo held both of them in their respectful positions by propping himself up solidly on his elbows.**

**Their noses brushed together as they turned their heads and swiveled their tongues against each other. Sofia caressed the back of his neck when he became more imposing during the kiss, the unspoken direction that she was comfortable with him taking the lead. She found herself being overwhelmed by the passionate make-out, gasping as his sharp fangs threatened to pinch her lips. He watched as her eyes fluttered in excitement behind her lowered lids, and realized that stirring those reactions in her gave him an unfamiliar satisfaction. Sofia's tongue suddenly caressed the cushiony spot at the back of his mouth, causing him to grunt softly and hum deep within his chest as the caress stimulated the fluttering pleasure that arose whenever she kissed him so deeply. Sofia mentally catalogued the precious fact as she repeated the action and received a growl that resonated from his chest, sounding quite similar to a purr.**

**The kiss became intensely frenzied as the two panted through their noses for enough breath to allow them to allow the make-out to last longer. Sofia absently brushed the sensitive spot on his neck and made him shudder, causing him to thrust his ravenous tongue deeper into her warm mouth. Then, as sudden as his action was, Piccolo smacked his lips closed and parted from the kiss, staring at her as if something unknown had coursed through him. Sofia stared at him, pulling away to give him some space, confusion crossing her semblance.**

**When Piccolo had regained his breath, his gaze unglued from her and stared down at himself. "…What is it doing?" he asked in an incredulously inquisitive tone when he looked back at her.**

**Following his gaze slowly down his body, Sofia's expression flushed as her eyes shrunk to dots. "OH MY GOD DON'T ASK ME ANYTHING ANYMORE!" she shrieked as she miraculously evacuated herself from his side on the bed and sprinted out of sight through her room and out the arch entranceway like a bat out of hell.**

**Watching her energy trail fizzle away to the floor, Piccolo couldn't help but sweatdrop. When he realized she wasn't going to come back, he growled and looked back down at himself, irritated by the unexplained and indiscreet bulge that tented his crotch. "What in the hell is wrong with her!? Isn't it enough that she made this sprout and now she can't even tell me what the fuck its doing!" he snarled bitterly at no one else but himself.**

**'Well…this is interesting,' Nail chimed wondrously. Piccolo ignored him.**

**"It must be something really bad if she has to haul ass out of here," Piccolo surmised out loud, and received a long telepathic hum from Nail.**

**'So…you two partook in some erotic encounter that has changed your sexual physiology,' Nail paused, then added for inflection, 'how odd.'**

**Piccolo growled. 'Nail, if you have nothing to add that could help explain what this thing is doing and why, then shut up!' he barked furiously.**

**'Well. I think it's time you and I have a long chat about…mating, Piccolo,' he chimed with mock-sagaciousness, his statement earning a strangled 'HUH?' from his sexually-dense counterpart. 'It all starts out with the physiological differences between a man and a woman…'**

* * *

 

**Sofia rocked back and forth _—_  in her more tasteful attire consisting of jeans and a t-shirt _—_  using her feet to push back and her cradled legs to balance herself from drifting too far back and repeating the process again. She resembled a confined mental patient at the moment, muttering to herself while staring blankly ahead at the vast whiteness of the void.**

**"I molested him, changed his physiology, and now he's packing a very Special Beam Cannon…he got a hard-on in front of me…from me!" She loudly sniffed the nosebleed that tried to trickle out and shook her head. "What the hell is going on? Why did this happen? I'm the only one of us that's supposed to be changing while in here, so…could he be a link to Kyouran's mysterious figure from the dream?" she paused her awestruck monotone when another possibility came to mind. "Could he be my…?" she shook her head and tried to focus. "Why would that have anything to do with the reason why he's suddenly sexual…very sexual by the look of that tent he was sporting…" Sofia's mind rushed back to the breathless make-out, and she switched from concern to perverted wonder. "I wonder what it looks like… would he let me see it if I asked him to whip it out?!" she swooned at the prospect, wondering if she had enough time to go back while he was still in awed confusion to swindle him in giving her a peek oh his new manhood, then she mentally kicked herself for letting her annoying reason take over first instead of her sexual curiosity of his body. "Dammit! The Sex-god of my perverted fantasies just got endowed and I didn't pounce on that? This chamber must be retarding my brain!" she chided herself as she stood and looked back at the small palace in the great distance she had put herself. "Damn, better get back before he sobers up!"**

**With that, she spilled her aura outward and shot off into the air, flying fast and with determination back to the palace and hopefully into the pants of her handsome Namekian affection.**

**_Oh, I hope you stay clueless for just a little while longer and let me get there, Piccolo. This is an opportunity that exceeds fangirl status!_ **

* * *

 

**'…and that is what the 'clitoris' is,' Nail announced as a closure to his long and detailed explanation _—_ from his acute understanding _—_  of the proverbial 'birds and bees' speech.**

**"…!" Piccolo sat catatonic from the vile and astounding lecture, horror-struck that the now dwindled bulge of his pants had been his body exhibiting a blood rush to bring to physical fruition his unfamiliar state of arousal. After a long and tense silence from him, Nail couldn't help but realize that maybe he overloaded his naïve counterpart with so much sharp detail, especially on a topic he scarcely knew of aside of being aware that men and women mated and were supposed to exhibit tedious and often pathetic displays of courting each other to serve the purpose of physical bonding and reproduction. His talk had obviously blown Piccolo's mind, in every sense of the word.**

**'Do you have any questions, Piccolo?' Nail carefully asked, not wanting to suffer the brunt of his anger.**

**'…Just one. How the hell do you know all of this?!' he dubiously inquired, adding, 'You lived on Namek with no outside interference until Frieza invaded, so how could you possibly know anything about such things?'**

**'Kami-sama has chatted with me several times about the peculiar customs and habits of the Earthlings, most notably how their mating and sexual instincts work after observing and researching it all in his long reign as Guardian of Earth,' Nail replied factually in a shrugged tone.**

**Piccolo wrinkled his nose in disgust. 'I never took the old fart for a blatant pervert _—_ and when, pray tell, did you two have these little chat sessions?' Piccolo contumely sneered.**

**'When you would take your long sessions of deep meditation that would put you in a state of utter unconsciousness towards me and any other disturbances from anything outside your own mind,' Nail replied aloofly, adding, 'Do you know how boring it becomes for me when I can't even have a tedious conversation with you? I'm not socially devoid like you. Once, Kami-sama was trying to contact you telepathically, and when you didn't answer, I did. We enjoy speaking to each other. He gets to speak to someone else other than Mr. Popo, while I get to interact with another Namekian that has a vast amount of knowledge about matters I've never dreamed of knowing. And, it's pleasant and fascinating conversation, unlike your antisocial mutters and grunts.'**

**Piccolo snorted sourly. 'Well I don't like the idea of you two meddlesome pains exchanging information without my knowing, so don't do it anymore, got it?' he commanded gruffly, and stood from the bed. He snapped himself into his complete attire and prepared to leave and track down his elusive partner.**

**'First of all, you cannot stop me from having my own telepathic conversations with the only person I can reach out telepathically to _—_ since Kami-sama is your other half _—_  and I will not go insane in this body of yours from boredom. Second of all, if I hadn't been speaking to Kami-sama, you wouldn't even  _know_ what that new and unruly appendage of yours was doing,' Nail cut in skillfully.**

**Piccolo hunched his now weight-padded shoulders and growled. He really hated when the witty bastard was right. The whole thing was really wearing on his temper, and he had about enough aggravation. Now he had to waste a whole day's training on learning to adapt to protecting the new weakness, not to mention suffer the burden on his ego of having to admit his physical attraction to the damned girl when his body would blatantly and indiscreetly do it for him.**

**'Nail. You are not to mention this to the old goat in any of your stupid conversations. Not a word, do you understand?' he instructed with iron resolve in his tone.**

**'Understood, but it isn't likely that you will be able to keep it a private matter. He is the Kami-sama of Earth, not to mention your other half,' Nail rationalized impassively.**

**Grunting, Piccolo barked, 'I don't care! All I'm saying is that you keep your insubstantial mouth shut. As a matter of fact, I don't want to hear another word about the subject. I'm already pissed off enough at the fact that it's becoming a huge burden that I never wanted, I don't need anyone else to keep throwing it in my face!'**

**Piccolo was almost incensed from his temper when Sofia landed at the entranceway and skidded into her room with a wild look on her. "Piccolo!" she shouted and almost slipped, but caught herself and ran skidding towards him. "Hey listen! I think that _—_ uh _—_ you should let me check you out _—_ I mean let me explain to you how your new plumbing down there works and even let me demonstrate how you should take care of it from now on. So if you could just whip it out and _—_ " before she could even finish her irresolute pitch, Piccolo had thrown a ki ball at her feet. Seeing the ire that contorted his features into irate-ness and the vein that popped to life on his now turban-clad temple, Sofia skittishly grimaced and ran in fear as Piccolo chased her, maniacally throwing ki blasts and lasers as she shrieked and squealed in shock and flee while he hollered shouts and curses that seemed to echo up to the white sky and bounce off into all the endless distances in the immaculately brilliant chamber. **

**This was a memorable sight that only the stark white and a hysterical Nail could call themselves witness to, but that only one could reminisce wittily about a hundred times over to the detriment of Piccolo's pride and the amusement of Sofia's ego.**


	12. A Deathdealer, A Red Fox, A Paradox

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**_"Vast untouched alabaster stretched over the seeming wasteland, the gusting wind becoming harsh and biting as the temperature dropped and the icy dunes covering the path camouflaged any dangerous drop off the foreboding edge. The bright, stunning white of the great winter range stung the sensitive crimson ireful glare of the lone figure draped in heavy, black leather and fur-lined cloak as she raised her hand to part the layer of ice that walled her path up the steep and hazardous mountain. Scattering the piled ice and snow to the howling breeze, she set her jaw as a particularly icy cold front battered her slightly trembling form, as the cleared path wound up into the clouded sky and the stultifying edge gave way to a pitted valley of jagged rock and snow. Kyouran continued up to the plateau, her gait solid against the boorish elements._ **

**_Her mind wandered over ill-forgotten memories as her heavy-soled boots trudged through the compressed powder and her cloak whipped behind her in a sinuous dance with the wind. The wind howled woefully as she reached the top of the plateau, her gaze penetrating over the rest of the world that sprawled beneath her hundreds of feet below. A wayward ache settled in her chest, under the dormant pendant of her necklace. Unbidden, her memories brought her the sight of gentle silver eyes, alabaster features, and flowing graphite hair mingled with the perpetual white of the snow gleaming off the figure of her thoughts. Snapping herself out of the memory, Kyouran huffed to herself and plopped down into the lotus position on the snow-covered top._ **

**_"Shido…you still manage to peer down at me through the snow-filled clouds, after so long…" she sighed in a soft tone, a frown crossing her tanned features._ **

**_The howling of the wind settled to soft whispering as the cold front passed, bringing with it a sense of calm over the mountain range. Kyouran pulled her hood back, allowing her hair freedom to play in the gentle wind. Her eyes softened as an unexpected flake of snow fluttered down from the sky to land on her cheek, where it instantly melted into a drop that ran down to drip onto her gloved hand. She looked up to the heavens as more flakes fluttered down like brilliant sakura petals, flowing gently by the wisps of northern breeze. Kyouran stood up as the flurries increased, and watched the heavens as flakes landed in her dark mane and clung to the fur of her cloak._ **

**_"…are you crying…Shido," her monotone timbre paused as she blinked a small flurry from her long eyelashes, "…the God of the Northern Mountain Range should not cry for a demon deathdealer… not when he watches her live like a weak fool…a fool weakened by her memories…" Her gaze narrowed as a gust tossed her hair and made the flurries dance in languid whirlwinds around her. "Hm… you still don't like it when I call you by your title," she mused as soft flakes kissed her skin, "Fine… you win…" Her gaze caught the clouds parting in the far horizon as dusk settled the sky to mingle in soft auras of violets, pinks, and hues of the world's blush as it descended slowly into its time of slumber. "…I'll stop reminiscing and watch the sunset you made…Shido…"_ **

* * *

 

**_The small clearing at the eastside of the priestess village was busy with the bustle of preteen girls and elder officials as they took charge of the small crowd and directed them to sit in their assigned places under the ample shade of trees of their humble meeting place for the prestigious apprentice onmyoji trials. The meeting place consisted of a natural flat rock perch that was used as the stage for the official conducting the lessons or for the high priestess herself to address the village. The perch only stood two feet off the regular ground and was smoothened at the sides to ebb the jagged corners in order to prevent any rambunctious children from hurting themselves._ **

**_As the strict onmyoji officials instructed the girls to settle down and take seats on the two long wood benches that stood angled from the left and right sides of the perch, leaving a free space down the middle and in front of the perch, Mekareh took the chance to slip her charm bracelet into her alabaster glove and straighten the collar of her apprentice robe before taking a seat on the front bench close to the perch. Today's trial involved spiritual energy and the ability to use one's spells naturally and properly for self protection, both offensively and defensively._ **

**_She was incredibly excited and anxious for the trial. Her brilliant green eyes sparkled as she looked at all sides at the other would-be apprentices, eager to see who would be conducting the trial. Her father had ruffled her hair that morning as she brimmed with glee, mentioning that maybe the high priestess herself would be in charge of the trial, being that it was the last big lesson before the final apprentice onmyoji test that would make one out of the dozen prospective candidates her apprentice and soon-to-be priestess. She couldn't stop fidgeting from the excitement of making it past the final trial. Her father had told her that everyone was very proud of her, since she was the youngest candidate ever to make it into the trials and the youngest female to ever show such promise in her lessons._ **

**_Snapped out of her thoughts by the clinking bell being rung in indication of the trial's commencement, she noticed how all the candidates immediately mumbled into silence and how the officials created a semi-circle to enclose the meeting area and prevent any disturbances from entering off the main road in the village. The priestess Murami, who had been in charge of her lessons up to that point, stood on the perch with a long and serious look as she placed the bell back in its silk pouch and tucked it away into her robe._ **

**_"The final trial shall commence forthright. At its closure, three candidates shall advance to the final apprentice onmyoji test. You will be tried for your skill and innate abilities at invoking spiritual essence for self protection. Your… 'instructor' will decide the course of the trial, as well as nominate the final three candidates that will move on to the test. Blessed be you all." The priestess curtly nodded and departed, and the whispers began._ **

**_"Seems that 'she' is late," one of the officials promptly whispered to priestess Murami as she joined the line of officials. Priestess Murami's caramel eyes didn't flicker as she responded softly, "she was due this morning."_ **

**_The whispers were also extensive in the ranks of the waiting candidates. "I wonder who will be the instructor," Mekareh heard someone say at the end of the bench to another. "Maybe the high priestess herself," another answered. "That's stupid. She's conducting the final test, after all," snapped quietly another. Mekareh simply kept quiet, knowing she wasn't really accepted by the others because of her young age and the lack of commonality that she had to other children in the village. Sure she was loved by all for being the only daughter of "Kakyo the True," but her youth and personality were of a completely different ether than the others. Most of the other would-be apprentices ignored her or dismissed her candidacy as mere favoritism because of her father's status, so she found herself always practicing by herself and excluded from the other's conversations._ **

**_Suddenly, all conversation ceased as the stealthy galloping of frenzied hoofs became louder and louder in approach to the trial, and all the officials who made the tight excluding circle from the main road started gasping in shock and horror as the unlikely trial instructor appeared. Not parting fast enough for the approaching figure, the black and stout mare was made to jump over the diving priestesses and vaulted into the free space of the meeting grounds, snorting and neighing as she circled the tight perimeter before halting. All those present quietly cringed from trepidation as the figure swiftly stood down from the majestic animal's back and planted her worn leather boots on the dirty ground, that is, all but one._ **

**_Mekareh's eyes brightened as Kyouran gestured for the horse to gallop back to its stable, causing the crowd of appalled officials to make way for the raven-colored mare as they scoffed and dusted their robes off. Turning her attention to the tense candidates sitting stiffly on the benches, Kyouran ran her fingers through her mussed hair and huffed in slight annoyance. Her tattered and dirt-scuffed gi clung loosely to her curvaceous frame and earned many sneers from the small crowd as she snapped the latches of her armor off and shrugged the heavy metal to the ground off to the side, almost crushing a couple of sniveling officials' toes._ **

**_"You are late, sister," priestess Murami remarked in a steely hush, very characteristic to her poised and un-confrontational self. Kyouran sighed in apathy as she pulled the sheath of her sword free from her hip and tossed it to join the breastplate. "Those tattered garments are not suited for an occasion of this prestige."_ **

**_Without turning to face the small woman, Kyouran replied dejectedly, "I am here to judge a few twits, not for a fashion show. Now step back and get out of my way."_ **

**_The priestess lowered her gaze and turned back to her position with the other officials before signaling to some of Kakyo's village sentinels to take care of Kyouran's discarded equipment. Kyouran grunted and walked over to the front of the perch. Turning back to face her stiff audience, Kyouran set her cold crimson gaze to drag slowly over every anxious face and resentful look, until she landed on the bright-smiling and happily-waving Mekareh. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms and stood in her imposing casual stance._ **

**_"Your original instructor, Sumeragi Saiga-sama could not make it. I am his last minute replacement. The fact that no other human official could do this is beyond me, so lets just cut to the chase," Kyouran stated in her icy tone, her iron features tensing as she saw one of the candidates raise her hand meekly. Her gaze intensifying on the girl, she barked, "What?"_ **

**_The girl flinched and fiddled with one of the tassels on her collar as she piped, "My mommy says you're too rough to be around children, so why are you the instructor? And don't you know you're supposed to stand on the perch when you talk?" The other girls around absent-minded Moira slapped their hands on their foreheads and inched away from her._ **

**_The corner of Kyouran's mouth twitched as she gazed at the girl. "Tell your 'mommy' to start investing in a dowry for you, because you just failed the apprenticeship. You're going to need a lot of money and possessions to be able to ensnare a human moron as your mate." When the girl only looked at her with wide-eyed shock, she scowled and stood over her with her imposing height. "The perch is for stubby humans, and as you can see, I don't need to make myself anymore taller to address you calves. Leave."_ **

**_Her eyes welling up instantly, the girl broke out in wails and ran like a sputtering toddler to push between the officials and shriek all the way to her home on the opposite side of the village._ **

**_The officials, minus priestess Murami, shouted in disapproval of the treatment, haughtily calling for something to be done. When they wouldn't quiet down, Kyouran faced them and sent a surge of ki outwards to push them back and to land on their rears. "As I was saying," she muttered tersely, "You have been told what the trial entails, and how its course is decided by me. If you don't like it, take it up with old lady Sumeragi." She narrowed her eyes at the still muttering officials, and they all fell silent as they once again dusted themselves off. "Now, I will pick each of you randomly and test your spiritual abilities. If I find you passable, then you'll pass. Simple, so keep it that way, got it?" she instructed in her tenor monotone._ **

**_"Yes, Nisou Kyouran!" all the girls replied carefully. Mekareh wondered what kind of test Kyouran planned, and anxiously awaited as Kyouran trailed each girl, and finally pointed to the girl right next to her. Paling, the girl stood and nervously walked over to stand across from Kyouran when she was gestured to by the demon priestess._ **

**_"One reason Sumeragi Saiga-sama was to be the instructor of this trial was because of his innate spiritual strength. As the head of the Sumeragi clan and lead onmyoji in the country, he would have sensed and tested each of your abilities the way one feels the air on their skin. Another reason is because he will be present during the final test, and will recommend his choice to old lady Sumeragi, so he wanted to spend time with the candidates and see what each could offer as an apprentice. Since he could not make it, he nominated me as his unwilling replacement. My spiritual strength is one that is different from yours and Sumeragi-sama's. It isn't spiritual at all. It flows through me like blood flows through humans and animals. Because of this, I can sense your soul's life energy, and the power you exert in using it." Pausing in her monologue, she allowed her aura to come to life, red and scintillating as it licked her frame. "I will show you what I expect from each of you," she charged up a hot ki sphere that flickered and bristled with power and blasted it toward the girl. Yelping in terror, she froze and shut her eyes, waiting for the fire to sear into her, but it never came._ **

**_Everyone gasped as Kyouran willed her attack to maneuver around the girl and move towards priestess Murami, who skillfully raised a spiritual shield with the defensive spell she held between two fingers out in front of her. As the blue aura faded and the priestess stood down from her position, Kyouran explained, "Deflect and even repel the attacks back to me if you can. If you want to show off, attack me before I attack you, but you are not to move from where you will stand. Clear?"_ **

**_Only intense silence was her answer before one of the tallest girls stood from her seat. "Are you actually going to let her do this? She could kill us!" she shouted at the officials, "She doesn't even care if she does hurt one of us. This is cra—" the girl was cut off by the ki blast that singed a hole into the ground in front of her feet. Dropping back in her seat, the girl looked back at the iron countenance of the instructor._ **

**_"Fear of death is good." Her eyes narrowed as she continued, "being a priestess carries the outcome of death, everyday, every second. If you cannot take living in fear, then get out of my sight! You're wasting my time." She ignored the girl as she grimaced and bolted through the officials, disqualifying herself from the trial. "Now if there aren't any further outbursts, I was going to test this calf. What do they call you, girl," she muttered scornfully and set her heavy gaze on the trembling girl._ **

**_"Tohru…" the girl mewled nervously._ **

**_"Tohru…let the exam begin," she rasped coyly and powered up. The girl nervously held up her hand in the defensive symbol and pulled a blank spell paper from her robe. Uncurling her fist, Kyouran sent slurries of ki attacks towards the girl, who recited her spell in mumbled whispers and deflected each, her blue aura dissipating the attacks before they could ricochet and cause damage. When everyone cheered for her, the girl dropped her guard and smiled to her friends, and was blown back by a powerful blast into the line of officials, whom broke her fall. A bit stunned, the small crowd fell quiet. "Pathetic…you, let's go!" The next girl didn't last one attack and was flung into the air, getting the back collar of her robe caught in one of the tree's thick branches. "Next!"_ **

**_After eight girls, the officials began to complain that no girl would be left to take the final exam. Mekareh knew Kyouran would be hard, but not to the point that no one could be able to get there spells out before being sent flying. "Kid! Stop daydreaming and let's go," Kyouran's rough tone snapped Mekareh out of her thoughts._ **

**_Running to her position, the auburn-haired girl bowed before her instructor and immediately prepared herself. Inwardly smirking, Kyouran charged both hands with glowing aura and pressed her hands outward in a bowl shape and blasted an attack that sent the dust whirling all around. Mekareh held her hand up in the defensive gesture and recited her protection incantation as she pulled a blank slip from her robe and held it between thumb and middle finger as she traced a pentagram with her index finger on one of the sides. Her straight hair whipped all around her from the surge of energy as red lines filtered on the piece of paper and formed a pentagram. Flicking the paper towards Kyouran, it magically became a spiritual fighting bird in the form of a white crow with red eyes. Dodging the bird's beak from slicing her face, Kyouran snatched it into her hand, and it fizzled back to a crumpling paper. Mekareh's blue aura ebbed into wisps of energy the breeze carried away as Kyouran ceased her attack._ **

**_Looking at her friend and pupil coolly, Kyouran sighed. "Passed."_ **

**_Mekareh squealed and jumped happily. "I did it! I passed! I can't believe it!" she piped happily and ran over to Kyouran and hugged her arm after she had grunted and patted her head._ **

**_"Of course the little suck-up would pass. Kakyo-san's precious daughter gets nothing but the best," one of the remaining girls jealously scoffed._ **

**_Glaring at the girl with murderous intent, Kyouran barked, "Well so will you, since you've failed and have time to suck-up to your teacher for another chance in the trials, in about 5 years."_ **

**_Chocking on her tongue, the girl quivered in embarrassment and humiliation before stomping to her feet and running from the meeting place in a huff._ **

**_"Well, Murami. Here are your 3 finalist. All of you get out of my way," Kyouran muttered in annoyance and pushed through the line of officials before phasing out of sight._ **

**_"Gauh! This is an outrage! She didn't even test the last two girls; this is unacceptable—"_ **

**_"Well you will all accept it because high priestess has said so!" priestess Murami finally shouted, shocking everyone there. "Now, see to it that each girl's parents are congratulated. I will tell the high priestess of the outcome." With that, she turned and exited the meeting place in route to high priestess Sumeragi's._ **

**_Ignoring all the commotion, Mekareh skipped past the crowd and squealed in happiness as she pulled her white gloves off and freed her silver charm bracelet. "Father will be so happy! And I hope you are too…mother." Her whisper floated merrily to the fluffy clouds lazily trailing the blue sky, where they would never be forgotten._ **

* * *

 

**_Kneeling before her alter, Sumeragi Hitomi-sama prayed silently to her ancestors as she lit a white candle, as was customary for her every eve, when she heard the crash of heavy equipment raucously echo in her main room. Not even reacting in surprise to the crash, she apathetically remarked, "Even when Saiga-sama manages to talk you into a favor, you always seem to rebel against me," she paused and stood, turning to direct her raven gaze at the cold figure of the priestess warrior that outlined the twilight coming from the open door, adding dryly, "You must go to Edo."_ **

**_Raising a tense eyebrow, Kyouran muttered, "Those punk sentinels have already given me your 'orders', old woman," she paused as she stepped over her discarded equipment and crossed her arms. "I'm not your errand girl."_ **

**_High Priestess Sumeragi patiently closed her eyes as she replied, "You are a priestess warrior. Your going to Edo is important because it has to do with one of your tasks—"_ **

**_"Say whatever you wish to justify your asinine request, but I'm not going," she interrupted contumely, narrowing her unflickering gaze of fire towards the woman who raised her in her 5 years of life. "If your petty revenge scheme for how I conducted the trials today is through, I'll be going to my private quarters now," she tersely muttered as she turned on her heel to head back out the way she came in, poignantly ignoring her discarded armor and sword so the old woman would have to deal with moving them her weak self._ **

**_"…Saiga-sama is at Edo Castle. That is why he could not make today's trial."_ **

**_That made Kyouran pause in her exit and look over her shoulder skeptically at the middle-aged high priestess. "What does that have to do with my going to Edo?" she inquired in a cold monotone before turning back around to face the high priestess._ **

**_Thoughtfully gazing at her as she spoke, the high priestess folded her hands behind her, "Emperor Higashimaya beckoned Saiga-sama to go to Edo immediately. I have consulted my brother and he says that the Emperor is not himself and that he wears some sort of metallic coin around his neck that seems to be the cause of his difference. He feels a dark presence around him. You must infiltrate the castle and retrieve the coin from his neck and bring it to Saiga-sama so that he can ascertain what hold it is under," she paused for seeming emphasis and added, "it could all be related to the immense surge in demonic activity in the country lately."_ **

**_Crossing her arms stiffly once again, Kyouran tersely said, "Infiltrate as in with ninjutsu tactics, I take. You do remember I'm a sheep-herding assassin; maybe you should reconsider, old wo—"_ **

**_"I'm not making an order or request of you. I am merely voicing Saiga-sama's petition for your help in the matter. Your spiting me because I have delivered the request does not change the fact that you're denying Saiga-sama, not me," she interrupted with expert deference that is entitled to her, turned her back on Kyouran, and returned to her alter._ **

**_Setting her jaw and biting back the sneer that narrowed her eyes at the old human's back, Kyouran managed to will the slight pulsing of the garnet pendant in its onyx casing back into dormancy. Keeping the temper out of her voice, she asked with cold steel in her tone, "When?"_ **

**_"Tonight."_ **

**_Turning to walk back out into the advancing night and take immediate flight with her ki, Kyouran suddenly paused halfway out the door and looked back over her shoulder. "Are you sure that is the only thing that is going on, old 'priestess'?" Kyouran suspiciously remarked, feeling she did not need anymore surprises to pop up and get ripped in the throat from her loss of temper._ **

**_"If you are to make it before dawn breaks, you must leave soon," was her only answer as she bowed her head and resumed her prayers._ **

**_Grunting, Kyouran walked down the steps and powered her aura to thinly envelop her form. Before blasting off at full speed for her destination another province away, she managed to mutter with derision her own type of goodbye._ **

**_"Give your ancient bones some rest, you damned crafty old bat."_ **

* * *

 

**_The Edo-jo was ominously lit by the scattered torch flames under a darkly-clouded night sky, causing the water of the many moats to resemble unmoving tar until a bristling breeze stirred the surfaces and caused the trees and their branches to sway like malevolent giants with wayward limbs. The 100 men guard house inside the Otemon was brightly lit from the inside and the murmurs of the guards on their patrols and watches was distinguishable from her perch on the most imposing tree top inside the compound. Even with the moonless night overhead, Kyouran wisely chose to done a black ninja robe complete with hood and mask instead of her bright white priestess warrior clothes. Her crimson eyes scanned the immense grounds all around for any activity, and noted the unusual amount of armed guards that patrolled the many types of vicinities. Diving off the tree top to land in a feline crouch on the nearest solid block wall that faced the Fujimi Yagura, Kyouran assimilated into the shadows just as a pair of guards strolled ahead of her._ **

**_"Oi, Teshimine-senpai! Why do you think the taichou has us patrolling so intensely lately?" the slender-built and young guard of the pair muttered to his full-bodied patrolling partner who glanced at him out of the corner of his eye._ **

**_"Masaki. You ask useless questions. It is our duty to patrol as many times as we're ordered to; nothing more, nothing less," the experienced monotone of the dark-eyed man made the other sigh._ **

**_"I understand that. But I mean if you've heard of the rumors. Do you think they're true?" the other grumbled and shut an eye from the gusty breeze that whirled through and between them._ **

**_"Ah. Kitsune no Aka and his secret liaisons in the imperial court. You rookies just love your gossip and speculations," was the other's amused reproach to his eye-rolling partner._ **

**_"It's not gossip! Aren't you a bit interested to know what's going on? I mean the emperor's weird behavior, no one allowed to go in and out of the imperial palace, and then talk of Kitsune no Aka wandering secretly in Edo?" the other remarked and pulled his robe closer around him with his shivering fingers. "It's cold out."_ **

**_"It isn't our business to wonder until we're told otherwise, Masaki-kun," the older man smirked at the other's annoyance and winked teasingly as he added, "The samurai and ronin tales rile up your imagination too much."_ **

**_"Gauh, Teshimine-senpai," the other whined and added quickly, "The legendary Kitsune no Aka from the legendary Forty Seven Ronin could be in Edo right now, plotting against what remains of the shogunate and the emperor, charming allies into following him and sneaking around the Edo-jo as I speak! That is not exciting to you?"_ **

**_Snorting at the wide-eyed look of excitement from the younger guard, he replied, "A legend within a legend. You and I both know that the 47th ronin who escaped punishment is probably in a province somewhere farming and making many boys to take over the family duties, not running around like this legendary pseudo villain gathering forces against the shogunate. And even if he was, you should be focused on your duties instead of daydreaming these adventures." The other's loud sigh made him chuckle. "You look cute when you're frustrated, Masaki-kun," he debonairly muttered in a casual husk as he inched closer to the younger man._ **

**_"T-Teshimine-senpai!" the other choked as a blush overtook his pale features and stiffened in his stroll as the other chuckled with mirth. "I don't know what's worse; your indifference to adventure or your seduction…"_ **

**_Kyouran snickered from her perch at the roof of the Fujimi Yagura as the strong wind muffled the older man's deep laugh. She raised her gaze across from her to the imperial palace. She could already see the many guards standing watch through the open windows of the stately edifice._ **

**_Unsure of the location of the emperor's quarters, she phased onto the corner ledge of the palace's roof and slipped down the opposite side in search of an unguarded entry. Spotting a small alcove of a balcony right below her with a single guard, she deduced that it must be the emperor's quarters beyond, since it had an impressive view of the sprawling landscape and the long moat wall trailing the black waters like a ledge._ **

**_The guard yawned, scratching the back of his neck from exhaustion and boredom. Walking in a crouch down the side of the wall, she knelt on the ledge of the wooden balcony rail and used a pressure point on the back of the guard's neck, knocking him out, and grabbed the back of his robe, easing him down to the floor so he wouldn't make a thudding noise._ **

**_Stealthily making her way past the elaborate wooden doorway that gave access to the spacious room, Kyouran scanned the room for any irregularities before fading in, her crimson eyes seeing perfectly in the pitch darkness. The emperor's bed was modeled from the European style. With extravagant draperies enclosing the sleeper in the bed and massive posts carved out of cherry wood— it was a dubious sign of how the outside influence was slowly seeping into the Land of the Sun. Seeming to float closer in the darkness to the drapes, Kyouran listened to the slight snore the occupant took on in his slumber. Pulling the drapes slowly opened with her will, she revealed the sleeping form of a man in deep maturity, his pale features looked tired and wary. His dark hair fell in tussles on his brow and around his ears, a visual contrast to the heavy coin that rested on his chest. The coin's chain was that of a thinly braided silk that clashed with his neck._ **

**_Carefully reaching towards the side of the emperor's throat to retrieve the coin, Kyouran's fingers halted as she sensed the spiritual binding that protected the coin, and as a result, the slumbering emperor. It wasn't dark, but that of a high power that only one person she knew could possibly have—_ **

**_"Higashimaya-uesama!" She twisted around and clamped her hand on the guard's mouth, lifting him off his feet, and slammed him against the doorframe of the balcony._ **

**_"Assassin! Help! Guards!" She looked over her shoulder as she let the unconscious guard slip from her grasp to crumble to the floor. The terrified emperor paled as white as his sleeping robe at the piercing demonic gaze that glared at him. Phasing in front of the retreating man, she grabbed him by the front of his robe and tossed him through the drapes of his bed as the door was broken through and four armed guards roared in. "HELP ME YOU FOOLS! It's a demon!"_ **

**_Kyouran went into her stance, considering aborting her task, when she heard the continual shouting of a familiar tenor voice rush down the hallway and burst through the room._ **

**_"Please let me through!" the person shoved past the first two guards. "Would you kindly get out of my way?!" he shouted and parted the last two guards. Wide purple-blue eyes stared over at her under fine raven bangs. "Kyouran-chan! You made it!" Saiga-sama shoved the guards from his side and adjusted his light gray robe. "What's with the outfit?" he said as he wrinkled his fine slender nose in confusion._ **

**_Ripping the hood and mask off, Kyouran growled at the situation, barking, "What do you mean what's with the outfit? This is because of your damned request!"_ **

**_Bringing his forefinger to his mouth in astonishment, Saiga then laughed and started gesturing for everyone around him to be at ease. "Higashimaya-sama, please don't be afraid. This is the person I called to aid me in our predicament," Saiga jovially remarked and gestured towards the fearful emperor to come out from under his covers. "And please, gentlemen, lower your weapons. She isn't going to eat you. Her bark is worse than her bi—"_ **

**_"SAIGA!" the young man flinched and turned his gaze towards the fuming Kyouran. Laughing falsely and grinning like a sneaky child, he stood quietly as she began to shout in controlled anger, "What in the nine damned hells is going on?! I came here to get the coin off that weakling's neck! Like you requested!"_ **

**_"Ah-heh, well," he paused and teetered back on his heels as he spoke, "I needed you to come to Edo and help me with something. The emperor's necklace is a charm I blessed and bound with a spiritual protection."_ **

**_"…why-then-did-you-request-me-to-get-it-from-him!?" she snarled at him and made all the men in the room nervous at the sight of her burning red eyes and pointed fangs._ **

**_"Oh, uh, that wasn't my idea, Kyouran-chan—"_ **

**_"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"_ **

**_"Ok, ok!" he smiled calmly at her as a vein throbbed to life on her temple. "Well, my original favor was surely something you would never in a million years agree to if I didn't ask you in person, so Hitomi nee-san thought that, heh, well..." he trailed off and her expression darkened even more._ **

**_"So the old battle ax actually concocted the coin thing just so I'd come over here and help you with something else?" Kyouran's garnet stone began to flare brightly through the heavy black ninja shirt as she loomed over the still smiling young man. "What the hell do you really want then, Sumeragi?" she growled with acid in her tone._ **

**_Saiga winced at the use of his surname. "Well, we need to speak to you in private about it," Saiga placidly replied and looked toward the still trembling emperor._ **

**_Still suspicious and wary of her, he inched closer to Saiga and stood behind him as he ordered his guards to leave. After they all begrudgingly left the emperor, he fortified himself to actually address his guests. "Well, Sumeragi-sama?"_ **

**_Saiga cocked his head to the side and smiled. "What we all need is some tea and treats!"_ **

**_"You don't need anymore damned sugar, Saiga! Jut hurry up and show me to wherever we're to have this conference before I leave," she contumely threatened and crossed her arms, after snapping her fingers and materializing her usual attire._ **

**_The emperor's jade eyes didn't revert to their normal size the entire time he mutely led them out of his chambers and into a private hall, with a cozy throne and table ready with the refreshments Saiga eagerly accepted. Refusing to sit, Kyouran leant against the closest pillar in the room and watched as Saiga calmed the emperor before getting into their true business._ **

**_"Were you able to sleep well, uesama? I mean, before Kyouran scared the color from your cheeks?" he warmly asked as he stirred the contents of his cup and nibbled on a treat._ **

**_The emperor wearily sighed and nodded. "I've been so exhausted from all of this. Thank you for your spiritual protection, Sumeragi-sama," the man smiled weakly before nursing his tea._ **

**_"You've been getting attacked by spiritual forces. That accounts for your odd behavior for the past weeks," Kyouran bluntly deduced after replaying the conversation of the two guards from earlier._ **

**_"Odd behavior? Is that what is being said?" Higashimaya blanched as he inquired in a frantic tone. "Without having a moment's peace and having to totally make the decisions, I'm sure the people have noticed my fray and think I'm going mad!"_ **

**_"I thought you were simply a symbolic ruler? The shogunate calls the shots here," Kyouran inquired flatly from her casual position._ **

**_Saiga finished his tea and answered, "All the members of the shogunate were assassinated a week ago, even those in line to succeeding the head of the Tokugawa. The imperial court has been covering it all up, and the emperor has been put as auxiliary ruler." He pushed his cup away and straightened into his sober demeanor, continuing matter-of-factly, "The emperor called for my help then, and I used deep spells to shroud some of the onmyoji from my shrine to impersonate the shogunate members. Unfortunately this won't last for very long, and we need to come to a head before the country goes into ultimate crisis."_ **

**_His serious look caused Kyouran to straighten and walk over to where they sat. "But you know who assassinated the shogunate, and that's the bigger problem," she stated coolly and crossed her arms._ **

**_Saiga's eyes were shadowed by his fine raven bangs as he looked up at her. "The demon underground has been organizing. Instead of rogue factions, packs, and clans of different demons, they're all joining. Something…or someone is organizing them," he paused and gave her a look that mirrored her stoic one, "this force is responsible for the spiritual attacks on his highness, and for the assassinations. This is all in their grand scheme—"_ **

**_"Get rid of the human power, break the control, and destroy the symbol," Kyouran finished his thought, adding, "but there's one more catalyst you haven't mentioned in all of this."_ **

**_The emperor and Saiga looked at each other, then back at her._ **

**_"Very impressive, Oni Hakaisha."_ **

**_Kyouran raised a delicate eyebrow and watched from the corner of her eye the figure emerge from behind one of the pillars on the other side of the hall. The samurai armor gleamed red and black in the light as it emerged from the shadows. Crimson eyes looked over the vibrant red and polished black that extended from the top of his kabuto all the way down to his kakozuri. The touseigusoku looked menacingly at her from the furious expression of the ressei men that covered the figure's face. "I like a woman who can get the right explanation from the most minimum of information," the figure mused with poised charm from a vibrating baritone rasp that she assumed was from a voice distorter located in the mouth of his red somen. He walked with a powerful stride over to them, as if the armor was part of his skin, and stood facing her._ **

**_Their heights weren't much different from a few inches. She crossed her arms as he bowed his kabuto-clad head. "Kitsune no Aka," she said, earning a vibrant chuckle from the mysterious ronin in front of her._ **

**_"It's humbling to hear my title with such indifference," he retorted in the unnatural deep rasp that distorted his true voice, and faced the other men present. "Nice to see you again, Sumeragi-sama. You as well, Higashimaya-san," the red samurai remarked plainly, making it a point that the emperor was no more than an equal to him._ **

**_The emperor's weary expression turned into one of distaste for the legendary instigator known as the 47th surviving ronin. "You forget yourself, ronin," he spat condescendingly and was halted from his verbal tirade by a peace-keeping Saiga._ **

**_"Now-now, gentlemen! Please let's not partake in the bickering again," Saiga chided pleasantly, then remarked to Kyouran, "I guess you've got the gist of what the predicament is, ne?"_ **

**_Huffing in boredom, she replied, "The ronin and his forces were suspect number one for the shogunate assassinations, until you intervened and saw the truth. If he had been responsible for the killings, he would have immediately taken control and overthrown the empire and the emperor's head would be displayed with the rest of the Tokugawa in his victory parade, but the imperial court managed to cover it up without any problems."_ **

**_"Impressive observations," Kitsune no Aka rasped, then shrugged his armored shoulders as he added, "and so very true." At the emperor's angry growl, he continued, "I was still making my plans to overthrow the shogunate in my secret camp when imperial forces suddenly attacked us. I had no knowledge from my informants of such an attack, so I was caught by surprise. What surprised me more was when we crushed the attack and I gave no word to retaliate against the imperial court, and later found many of my men burning in a bonfire outside of one of the imperial compounds."_ **

**_"A third party was pulling the strings for you and the emperor to eliminate each other and throw the country into anarchy," she stated dejectedly and yawned, losing interest quickly as the conversation progressed._ **

**_"Precisely. You must be bored," he remarked with a coy edge that characterized him as the Red Fox, adding, "I came to Edo at Sumeragi-sama's request, already aware that I was being set up for something I was still planning to do."_ **

**_Suddenly standing from his seat, Saiga stated seriously, "The point is, something bigger than all of us is organizing for the biggest demonic takeover ever. We aren't enough to stop it; the people are the defining factor to success against this threat. The only way we can ensure Japan's future is to give the people stability. Higashimaya-uesama and Kitsune-sama have agreed to join their forces and to pull the country together. The emperor has decided to embark on a campaign throughout the country making appearances before the people to assure them of his competency in the eyes of the shogunate and of its biggest rival, who will accompany him as a partner in alliance—"_ **

**_"As unlikely an alliance, but fine," the ronin jokingly cut in, goading the emperor to seethe, then added, "and we'll share power of the country after it is revealed of the unfortunate plague that killed the Tokugawa's."_ **

**_Closing her eyes to run their plan in her mind without her impatience flaring, she grunted softly, then remarked, "And, pray tell, what does all of this insignificance have to do with you needing my help, Saiga?" She opened her eyes to narrowed lids and focused them on the somber purple-blue eyes under those raven strands of hair, adding, "seems to me you weak fools have it all planned."_ **

**_Running his alabaster fingers through his hair, Saiga sighed and said, "Kitsune-sama has a special provision for his going along with the plan—"_ **

**_"Something the selfish bastard is demanding or else he'll betray us and go public with the truth!" the emperor irately cut in as he stood and began pacing in his temper loss._ **

**_Saiga sighed, exhausted from his mediating, and looked at the red clad ronin. Putting his hands on his hips, his form of saying that the niceties were over, he authoritatively stated, "I won't accompany the emperor on his campaign," he paused as the man scoffed and as Saiga shook his head, "but my armor will…" he trailed off as Saiga sighed and looked at Kyouran, waiting for her reaction._ **

**_Looking at the two other men, then back at the Red Fox, she growled and turned away. "No."_ **

**_"But Kyouran!" Saiga whined._ **

**_"No!" she barked as she began to stride down the hall for her exit._ **

**_"C'mon, Kyouran, Please! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!" he beckoned as he blocked her from going any further down the hall._ **

**_"I-SAID-NO! Move before I throw you out of my way!" she hollered as he began to hop back and forth while she tried to dodge him._ **

**_He paused and said, "This has directly to do with you too, Kyouran and you know it! What's the point of going on day in and day out slaying and destroying demons when they're surging back 3 times in their numbers? While you impersonate Kitsune-sama and escort the emperor you can do your own investigating of who's behind this. They're getting organized…and smarter. If you can stop it at the source then your purpose in life is completed and you are free from human rule."_ **

**_Narrowing her eyes at him, she intimidatingly loomed over him and growled, "I am under no one's rule, Sumeragi. Not yours, not the old bats, and especially not under a bunch of stupid mortal cows."_ **

**_Unfazed by her intimidation, Saiga crossed his arms and gave her his rarest iron expression as he growled, "Then do it to relieve the aggravation of killing those not worth your time!" he paused and composed his tone to that of the head of the Sumeragi clan as he added, "Either way, you're gaining more without having to lose a thing."_ **

**_Setting her jaw, she looked over him towards Kitsune no Aka, whose distorted chuckle made her wrinkle her nose. Looking back down at Saiga, she decided to fight arrogance with arrogance. "So the legendary Red Fox is too much of a coward to hold up an end of the bargain, and needs a female demon to take his place and masquerade as him," she shot aloofly in his direction, and saw one of his tekou-protected hands clench and unclench. "Sending a woman to do a man's job, I see," she added in a drawl and watched as both of his hands clenched into fists. The emperor gave an unsavory laugh at the legendary ronin's expense, earning a growl from the composedly seething figure._ **

**_Seeming to pull his temper back, the mysterious ronin brought his hands back to his hips as he replied haughtily, "A demon slayer hardly constitutes being a woman, even if biologically female," he contemptuously bit back, adding, "I highly doubt you could even handle the job past maiming and crushing anything that moves, so if you wish to decline it's no problem with me. I can still get what I want either way…"_ **

**_Instead of enraging her like he intended, her reaction was that of amusement as she walked past a stunned Saiga towards the daring armor-clad figure. Standing his ground as she came to impose her height over him, he watched as a slow and malevolent smirk quirked her full lips. "How do I know you're not one of the many doppelgangers trained to impersonate the real Red Fox?" The question caught everyone else but the ronin and Kyouran by surprise. "That is a small factor, but it is still a factor. If you're not the real thing then the agreements have no point," she coolly stated._ **

**_Saiga's eyes flickered with understanding to what she was talking about. "That's right. It is rumored that many assassination plots have supposedly failed to kill you, but the truth has been that you have many well trained men who masquerade in uncanny replicas to your armor, and those loyal decoys have met their deaths. No one has been able to ever discern what the real Red Fox looks like beyond the armor because no one remembers what you looked like when you were younger," he astutely stated, adding, "the only thing they do remember is the mark on your back. Unfortunately, even when they've checked the corpses of your decoys, they all have the mark on their backs, either as tattoos or scars. No one is even able to distinguish if Kitsune no Aka is still alive, let alone who's the real man."_ **

**_After a short silence, the ronin made an impatient gesture and replied, "It's all very true. Many of my skilled decoys run around the country on my orders, just to confuse those who track me. And yes, they all have my mark on their backs." He paused as his hand reached up and grasped his red somen. "But, I am the one and only Red Fox," he stated coolly as the rasp of his distorted voice snapped out and revealed his steely baritone voice halfway through his statement. Pulling the mask from his face, he gazed at Kyouran from under heavy dark eyebrows and large slanted eyes the color of a vivid liquid silver bound inward by black rims. His angular features and olive skin were chiseled by the sun's harsh rays and the years of strict food deprivation. 'Now that I've revealed myself, you have my word that my role in this is—"_ **

**_"Showing us your ugly mug doesn't prove a damned thing," she interrupted with vicious humor, causing him to press his lips into a thin line between his neatly shaped mustache and sharply styled chin beard. His heavy brows knitted together in a scowl as he turned, walking a short distance from all of them, and began taking his red and black armor off, starting with the helmet, and working his way down until he was left in his black under-robe._ **

**_Without turning to face them, he tugged the front of his robe open and slid it halfway down his sharply-toned back. Exposing the tilted X-shaped birthmark in between his shoulder blades to them, he looked over his shoulder and barked, "Proof enough, or should I whip it out too so you can confirm my sex?"_ **

**_Raising a brow in humor, she looked over at Saiga, who stated, "It is a true birthmark, so he must be the real Kitsune-sama."_ **

**_A long silence reigned in the room, until Kyouran closed her eyes. Nodding, she replied, "Fine…"_ **

**_Smirking as he turned his face away from them, the ronin chauvinistically mused, "If I'd known that getting nude was the defining deal closer for the lady, I would've given her a peek from the start and saved all the wasted words."_ **

**_Grimacing at the cheap philandering, Saiga watched a sadistic grin pull at Kyouran's lips as she responded in a biting tone, "If I wanted to get a peek at your pathetic excuse for a physique, I'd strip you naked after snuffing the life out of you and before dumping you in an unmarked grave, Katsumoto."_ **

**_At hearing his real name, he turned with a cautious demeanor and fixed his liquid silver eyes to scowl at her. "Where_ ** **did _you find this creature, Saiga-sama…" he wittily remarked, without letting the scowl leave his features._**

* * *

 

**_The sun had only been up for an hour, and although he was used to early morning duties, Saiga yawned and rubbed his left eye as he stood in the retreating shade of a tree. Higashimaya-uesama absently fanned himself as he sat tensely in his carved chair under the heavy shade of the courtyard's porch._ **

**_Stifling another yawn, Saiga asked, "Did you managed to get some rest, uesama?"_ **

**_Jumping at the question, the man answered wide-eyed, "Oh yes! The talisman you protected was a relief to my nerves, thank you."_ **

**_Saiga bowed his head. "You are very welcome," he paused when the eerie but tough figure of Katsumoto appeared from one of the side doors at the far corner of the porch, opposite the emperor._ **

**_Wearing robes of blended browns and grays, his olive skin glowed like tanned leather and looked uncharacteristically soft even with the slight scars that still lingered on his strong countenance. His quicksilver eyes were slanted under his heavy dark eyebrows as he contemplated the two men. "It's been done," he answered their silent question as he strode with a commanding gait across the porch towards them._ **

**_Clearing his throat, Saiga remarked, "Kyouran disappeared after the arrangements were made. I don't know where she is or when she'll be back."_ **

**_Narrowing his dark brows, the unmasked Red Fox crossed his arms, reminded of the absence of the constriction his armor provided, and snarled, "What good is it to waste my time allying with you fools if you can't keep the dog on a leash!" His angry gesturing caused his long blackish hair to sway, which annoyed him even further as he slapped his hair back— not used to having it out of a chonmage._ **

**_"A dog snarling for a leash—that's something I would equate with you,_ ** **Katsumoto, _" the emperor remarked with a Cheshire grin, loving the power of knowing his nemesis' real name and how it enraged him even more._**

**_Trying to hide his rising tempest, Katusomoto barked, "We agreed that she would need to train with me and study my mannerisms before leaving for the campaign. I will not let one of my doppelgangers make me look like a horse's ass, Sumeragi-sama!"_ **

**_"If I made you look like more of an ass, you'd be the entire horse, Katsumoto," the voice gained everyone's undivided attention as the silhouette appeared behind the shoji of the main door leading out onto the cherry wood porch. Sliding the door open, Kyouran emerged onto the shadowed porch, her scowl softly etched on her features. She watched their eyes go wide, and the reaction of her appearance was individually evident. "Have you never seen the female form, gentlemen?" she sarcastically sneered as Saiga diverted his gaze meekly, while the emperor cleared his throat and unglued his eyes off her hourglass curves and Katsumoto leered with a debonair male bravado._ **

**_"I've seen many forms, but who knew a demon could be so well endowed," Katsumoto muttered confidently as his liquid silver eyes sashayed up from the garnet pendant resting on her bust to her smoldering red gaze. Kyouran walked passed him uninhibited. The sun struck the stark white of her thin samurai shitagi that barely hid her nudity, especially as she stood in the warm sunlight._ **

**_Katsumoto followed her down the steps into the glaring sunlight, and was met half way by Higashimaya and Saiga. She looked like some lustful goddess standing in the middle of the marble tile that made up the private open-aired dojo, with her golden tan, supple curves, and her long locks pulled up in a topknot. "Where's the robes and armor?" she authoritatively inquired and stared intensely at the other men._ **

**_Saiga went and retrieved the robes she would wear under the armor, to Katsumoto's specification, and handed them to her. She dressed promptly while Saiga turned away respectfully and the other two did so hesitantly._ **

**_"The armor."_ **

**_Katsumoto walked back up the porch steps and slid the door open that he had previously come through, and revealed the complete red armor that stood fully clothing a dummy-stand. "I made the alterations so that they would fit your height," Katsumoto muttered aloofly as she appeared next to him._ **

**_"The full foot, I hope," she said with a snarky smirk at his expense, and looked down her nose at him._ **

**_At only 5''7, Katsumoto gritted his jaw, which made his nostrils flare in perturbation. He knew he should have worn his padded boots; then at least he could be somewhere near her height. "Yes," he hissed between thin lips as he turned and went back down the steps. By the time he joined the others on the dojo floor, Kyouran was already in armor— minus kabuto and somen— waiting with her arms crossed. The muscle in Katusmoto's jaw twitched at the sight of her. "Red is your color, I see," he remarked with a bored tone._ **

**_"Saiga, you and the emperor get off the dojo floor," she instructed, adding, "This should be quick."_ **

**_"But will you please inconvenience yourself and agree to be our weapons handler?" Katsumoto commanded in the form of a question, and received a curt nod from Saiga, who went over to the weapons table off to the side of where he had been standing in the shade._ **

**_"Well, Oni Hakaisha. If you best me in these little exercises, you will be a suitable decoy," he arrogantly stated as he gestured for Saiga to toss him the fighting staff. Kyouran's cold gaze didn't shift from him and Saiga didn't bother to offer her weapon since she didn't gesture for it. Grunting with confidence, he went right into battle and used the weapon expertly, just to have it suddenly snatched out of his grip. Kyouran spun the staff in every conceivable manner until she spun it behind her and swung it to sweep Katsumoto off his feet to crash on his back._ **

**_With the wind knocked out of him, all he could do was stare incredulously up at the red-clad Kyouran. Katsumoto flushed in anger and kicked himself up to his feet. "Sword!" He shouted, and Saiga hurried over and tossed them both swords._ **

**_Kyouran grabbed hers out of the air and spun it in the palm of her hand. It was much lighter than she was used to, and Katsumoto proved himself to be quite adept with a katana. When their swords connected and gnarled against each other in struggle for dominance, Katsumoto made a vociferous cry and spun his sword in such a way that it snapped Kyouran's hand and made her lose grip of her sword, which flew into the trunk of a tree. Baring down to strike, Katsumoto had a glimmer of pride in his silver eyes that soon turned to astonishment when Kyouran calmly stood in his path and bright red spark-energy whirled around in her left hand and instantaneously formed into a katana made out of pure and clear red energy. Before he knew what happened, she slashed his sword horizontally and sliced the blade of his sword clean off, making the blade fall and clatter to the marble floor._ **

**_He stared with his jaw snapped tightly shut and mechanically composed himself as Saiga cheered and the emperor gave him a contemptuous smirk that boiled his blood. She stood down and let the sword dissipate to a flutter of aura that extinguished itself._ **

**_"Now that Kyouran has bested the great Red Fox, the preparations are in order and we will be ready to leave at midday. I hope you'll join us in my caravan,_ ** **Katsumoto, _" Higashimaya-uesama stated with forced severity as he impishly mocked the contemptuous glare he received._**

**_"Saiga. You stay in Edo. If anything happens, you need to be here for clean up duty," Kyouran stated before Katsumoto could lose his temper, and added, "Get everything ready now. Kitsune no Aka and I have some business to take care of before we depart…"_ **

* * *

 

**_The horses trotted in a tight file over the beaten dirt road, steered by resolute guards who were silent and vigilant. Katsumoto rode behind the emperor's horse-driven carriage of opulent carved wood and decadent inner upholstery, posing as his steward for the duration of the trip. His hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail to match the reserved robes of an imperial servant, but no matter how he tried to seem like a demure steward, his black-rimmed silver gaze spoke volumes of his strength and arrogance. Steering his ride to trot at the side of the emperor's coach, Katsumoto itched with anxiety at not being the center of attention for the first time in decades._ **

**_He glared ahead of the caravan at the red and black touseigusoku-clad figure that rode motionless and with an air of powerful poise under his favorite horse. Pressing his lips together in a tight line, he couldn't believe his once loyal horse accepted the intruder so quickly and with no resistance whatsoever. The demon woman had powers of perception and intuition that just jarred him to the core, not because he feared her power, but because_ ** **he _didn't poses such abilities._**

**_"Is that a frown, Katsumoto?" snapping out of his thoughts, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the mocking green eyes of the emperor as they peeked at him through the wooden blinds of his carriage. "Seems Kitsune no Aka misses his plated skin; or is it that your glory has been taken by a female? A decoy better than the original, ne?" he acidly goaded the scowling rider who shut him up with the glared daggers he sent his way before slapping the reins and galloping up to the front of the caravan._ **

**_He fell back to a decent trot a few yards behind the samurai decoy who was presently leading them into the next little village of the day, and hopefully the last._ **

**_At the sight of the imposing figure clad in red and black, the farmers working in the rice paddies and on the crops rushed back to the village and spread the word that the Red Fox was arriving with an imperial escort. The village gates were nothing but rotting posts that let any in; the villagers made way and stood on the sides as the caravan came through, falling silent and filled with suspense._ **

**_A small boy ran out in front of the samurai-clad Kyouran, causing her to halt in trot and circle around the boy. Crystalline blue eyes gazed in astonishment at the powerful figure who stared dejectedly at him from behind a red somen. A mother quickly pulled the boy back and held him close as the emperor's coach passed and all bowed in respect._ **

**_Katsumoto's look of disdain was replaced with forced reservation as he dismounted and helped the emperor out of his carriage after arriving in the middle of the village square. Kyouran dismounted swiftly and appeared next to the emperor who was dressed in his full adornments, his private guard stationing around the perimeter and behind him. Almost immediately, the humble farmers came to pay their respects to the symbol of Japan, who assured them that their tribute was not necessary and that he was proud to have such great people and such a modest village._ **

**_"My people. The struggles you go through do not go unknown. The sacrifices of each will guarantee prosperity for all in the long run…" Higashimaya-uesama went on with his address, Kyouran standing like a looming demonic sentinel clad in all that red next to him, and Katsumoto crossing his arms behind his back so he could squeeze his hands into fists without attracting attention._ **

**_As the emperor finished his address, many curious villagers began to voice questions about the skirmishes between the imperial troops and the Red Fox's rebel forces._ **

**_"That has been put to rest, my people. As you can see, Kitsune no Aka has accompanied me on my travels as an ally," he paused as skeptical whispers started to rise in the crowd, "we have recognized Kitsune no Aka to have nothing personally to do with the skirmishes, and our alliance will bring into the light the real culprits who intend to bring disorder into the provinces—"_ **

**_"With all do respect, uesama, the legendary Red Fox could be anywhere, and it is possible that he is not here but his armor is," a stout farmer with tanned and dark semblance voiced with skepticism as he crossed his arms, and a low murmur began to reverberate in the crowd._ **

**_Higashimaya inwardly sighed, not being the first time to have the truth thumbed in his face by a wary crowd today, and was about to give his rehearsed answer when the red touseigusoku moved to direct a menacing gaze from the rage-expressing mask. "Let me interject in the interest of time that this alliance is for practicality's sake. I do not care for the string-less puppet at my side, but I will stomach the annoyance of contact with him because Japan's true interests will be accomplished if I do so," the rasp concealed her feminine timber perfectly and made the crowd stir with astonishment at her remarks._ **

**_Higashimaya's face turned pink in his anger— to Katsumoto's extreme amusement at having her rehearsed answer come out so eloquently suited to him— but he managed to stifle himself to pull the crowd back to believing him to be an able-minded ruler with a strong ally._ **

**_After her remark, Kyouran fulfilled her part and simply stood back down into sentinel mode by the emperor's side. Her senses had been alert for the past couple of minutes since the small boy ran out in front of her. She had been distracted to the glint of metal on one of the roofs when the boy stumbled in front of the horse and snapped her attention back. The air was foreboding, and her predator-like gaze traced the small village until her senses picked up something remote._ **

**_"Please be assured that the violences committed will be severely punished and those responsible will be brought to justi—" the emperor was cut off as the arrow aimed to pierce between his eyes was caught by a red and black covered hand. Immediately, panic and chaos broke out as the guards went into action to shelter the emperor and the villagers scattered in hysteria as arrows began to rain down from atop some of the roofs of the village and beyond the high wooden fences that enclosed the site._ **

**_Kyouran unsheathed the katana at her hip and deflected a barrage of arrows as guards and civilians started dropping like flies around her. Higashimaya shrieked in panic as the guardsman closest to him was shot in the neck. Katsumoto had swooped behind cover and saw the arrow heads glisten in the late afternoon sun and realized that something extremely problematic was happening. Grabbing a sword from the closest dead guard on the ground, he dodged through the falling arrows towards a still screaming Higashimaya and tackled him to the ground as an arrow flew straight over his head._ **

**_"You squealing pig! Shut up and get in the carriage before you ruin my plans!" he roared in exasperation as he dragged the sniveling man up off the ground and tossed him into his carriage and shut him in. Turning back to the chaos, he caught sight of Kyouran as she deflected tens of dozen arrows and collapsed one of the huts on its foundation to reveal the hidden attackers on its roof. The plainly-armored men unsheathed their swords swiftly, but mechanically, and went at her. She fought through them easily, only to have more jump from their perches and come into the fray. After slicing one's stomach until his bowels oozed from the wound, she turned to face the chaos behind her and finally heard Katsumoto's shouts._ **

**_"Kitsune!" he insisted in anxious aggravation, "get them to run them out before we're all slaughtered!" He then disappeared behind the crowd and billowing smoke as the arrows falling were now tipped with fire._ **

**_Shouting at a nearby group of guards to gather the survivors and crowd them around the carriage, they ran to do their biddings and she roared in her rasp for those fighting to fight them back. Kyouran sprinted through the anarchy and smoke back to where the carriage was and yanked the door open. The emperor shrieked madly before he realized it was just her. Yanking him out of the carriage, she ripped the protective charm around his neck off and grabbed his hand. "Try not to scream," she rasped, as with the edge of her blade, she slit a small cut on the palm of his hand, and made the man wail a cry. Then, she pressed the amulet in his blood-running palm. Immediately, a force field sprang around them as big as two of the huts around them. "Hold this and don't move. Get the survivors to come into the force field," with that, she stood and passed through the protective barrier into the rain of arrows._ **

**_The guards were managing to fight the attackers back, but the fires were raging and the casualties were piling up. Spotting something moving on the ground beyond the smoke, she crouched and went to strike it when big crystalline blue eyes looked up at her in terror. Growling under her breath, she snagged the small boy up and tucked him under her arm._ **

**_"Kitsune!" she turned just in time to see the kunai swish pass and embed in the throat of a plainly robed attacker. Looking towards Katsumoto, he smirked at the red glare directed at him and ran over, avoiding the fallen and the crumbling of a hut from a consuming inferno. "Most of the attackers have been pushed back to the front of the village, but there's something very wrong here," he spoke in a calm deep tone as he got to her. "They're not staying down," he resumed and gestured to the opposite side of the village where a disemboweled figure still fought one of the guards, it's features expressionless but determined._ **

**_Narrowing her eyes, she pushed the small boy into his arms. "Go back to Higashimaya and get the survivors inside the barrier with him." She turned away and started walking away._ **

**_"You're welcome!" Katsumoto arrogantly shouted and smirked at her when she glanced back at him. She turned and disappeared behind the chaos' smoke._ **

* * *

 

**_Snapping their necks wasn't working. Maiming and slicing through them was pointless. The guards started panicking, saying that nothing was killing 'the zombies' and that they should retreat._ **

**_Kyouran crushed a man's head into the ground and that managed to put him down for good. "Sever their heads, you fools, and stop whimpering!" she shouted in that reverberating rasp provided by the distorter in the mask she wore. The men grew squeamish as they fought through the now dwindling numbers of zombie-like attackers, but did as they were instructed, allowing Kyouran to focus on her surroundings. Someone was pulling the strings, and they weren't too far away. She had a hunch and she needed to fulfill it before she lost her patience and just obliterated the entire field and rice paddies they were wallowing in._ **

**_Reaching her thumb and forefinger under the mask to her lips, she made a high-pitched whistle, and in minutes a black stallion galloped through the destruction and smoke of the village towards her. She swiftly mounted it in mid gallop and raced through the fighting towards the outcropping of trees that skirted the village from the dirt road. The trees led into a thick wood with trees that seemed to barrel to the sky, and her hunch was reaffirmed when she sensed the puppet master of the attackers. Hopping off the horse's back, she flipped in the air and landed in a crouch in the brush as a figure emerged from the darkness of the woods._ **

**_"Well, my silly puppets were ineffective at killing anything that tried to escape. Pity," the figure moved out of the shadows and gave her a lopsided grin. The demon's sandy skin looked streaky from the brown stripes that horizontally etched over his exposed skin. "Why you decided to ally with the emperor at your own peril," the snide creature tisked at her in a peeving voice as he went into action and materialized behind her. She turned in a blink and grabbed him by the throat. The creature's filmy eyes went wide as he choked in her grip. "You're not Red Fox!" it wheezed and stared at her in horrified surprise._ **

**_She chuckled. "Who do you work for," she rasped, her blood red eyes beginning to glow at him. When he didn't answer, she squeezed his throat and hefted him higher so he could get a good look at her murderous gaze. "You're too stupid to be running this alone," she said in a demonic tone, "who is pulling your strings, puppet master." In a desperate attempt, the demon jerked his hand palm out towards her and revealed the puckering hole in his hand. Knowing what he attempted, Kyouran grabbed his hand by the wrist and twisted it off in the blink of an eye. The demon jerked and hollered in pain. "If you want to keep your right hand you better not try that again," she mused in that eerie rasp. "Now who's your leader."_ **

**_"Let me go and I will tell you!" he gasped and struggled absently in her grip._ **

**_"You're a higher level demon, and you're smart enough to speak out of the demon tongue, so are you stupid enough to think I would let you go?" she asked rhetorically and dug her fingers into his throat, while she used her free hand to pull her somen away._ **

**_"I don't know! I don't know who's the leader; I've never seen him!" he gasped, then froze when he saw her cold features stare back at him. "You can't be…!"_ **

**_"But I am, so tell me who commissioned you to make this chaos between the imperial court and the rebels."_ **

**_"Even if I told you you'd kill me, deathdealer!" he spat with as much breath as he could muster and narrowed his gaze at her._ **

**_She let him drop to the ground wheezing and coughing for breath. "Try and run and you'll be another head in my collection," she warned with a hard tone._ **

**_"Just the middle man! That's the guy who's doing the actual organizing in the underground; says it's his grand vision, and that the one who leads us plays part in it," he muttered in a hurried tone as his eyes darted around looking for an escape._ **

**_"His name."_ **

**_"Hiretsu—!" Kyouran's eyes widened at the surge she sensed; she dodged almost too late to avoid the ki blast from behind her that slammed into the confessing demon and seared right through him. Chocking a gurgle, the demon's eyes rolled back as he collapsed in a mangled heap._ **

**_Kyouran replaced the mask to her face and looked back into the dark wood. The momentary ki signature disappeared. Her lead was a pooling mess-heap and she was now suspicious of this plot. Saiga was right; something powerful was organizing. That aura she momentarily sensed was vastly strong. Her interests were piqued._ **

**_Walking back down the dirt road, the stallion appeared from the nearby brush and followed her reverently back to the village. As she arrived, she found that the survivors were in the process of extinguishing the blazes and taking care of the severely wounded. The field and rice paddies were riddled with the lifeless corpses of the plainly armored attackers, the guards sitting bloody, sweaty and dirty on the side of the road._ **

**_She walked passed them and through the rubble to the center of the village to see how it faired there. Higashimaya was trembling as he sat on the footstep of his carriage, still gripping the protective talisman caked in his drying blood. The protective barrier had dissipated, but the man was too scared out of his wits to notice._ **

**_As she surveyed the weeping and fearful survivors, her hand was suddenly tugged by a small one. She looked down and was accosted by crystalline orbs of innocence. "Arigato, Kitsune-san!" the small boy grinned happily up at her and then waddled back to his grief-stricken mother._ **

**_"How touching." The sarcastic grumble cooed from behind her. She turned and encountered a smug expression from Katsumoto, who faired pretty well compared to all the others. "Most survived. The casualties are unevenly numbered considering they suddenly just dropped dead around us. Guess that was your doing," he remarked in his cool tone and crossed his arms._ **

**_"My lead is a pile of burnt out flesh in the field across from the wood," she commented and walked over to one of the corpses that just dropped dead as Katsumoto said. "A puppet master demon. Very rare; the first I've encountered."_ **

**_"Puppet master?" Katsumoto gruffly inquired and gazed at the red somen skeptically._ **

**_"The group of your men you found burnt up in the area of the imperial compound," she tersely replied, "were being controlled like puppets." She kicked the corpse onto its face to reveal the back of its neck. The dried out parasite fell from the burrow it made in the base of the neck that connected to the cerebellum._ **

**_Katsumoto's gaze widened and looked back at her. "These parasites can control you?"_ **

**_"Why else would your men disobey direct orders, and attack you for that matter," she replied._ **

**_Higashimaya began to snap out of his fear-induced catatonia. "What?" his trembling green eyes looked up at them._ **

**_Katsumoto composed his features to an iron mask. "You figured the same thing…these attackers are my men," he replied with apathy, kicking dirt onto the corpse. "Once I saw the arrow heads I knew I was being attacked by my best men; they use these arrows because they're harder to pull out of a wound," he stepped on a fallen arrow and ground the tip into the sooty dirt with his heel._ **

**_"So we're being attacked by our own people…" Higashimaya-uesama shuddered and hugged himself._ **

**_"That's the premise, fool. The issue is how do we fight the people we trust; loyalty and fear are no longer factors in this betrayal," Katsumoto barked gruffly and clenched his jaw in exasperation._ **

**_Kyouran huffed, earning both their attentions. "Make the arrangements to make it to the nearest province; the encampment must be up before nightfall."_ **

**_"You're seriously considering continuing with this charade!" Higashimaya choked a panicked whimper as his eyes bulged in fear._ **

**_"You two are now my bait," both men flinched and stared at her in astonishment. "The middle man is running the show; like the emperor, the leader is just a pawn for the grander plan. To get to him, you two are going to continue this campaign. Do whatever you have to do to beef up your personal securities, but you will stick with this until I find what I need."_ **

**_Katsumoto's quicksilver eyes narrowed at her. "My end of the deal will not change, or else I expose everything," he growled as he clenched and unclenched his fists._ **

**_"Your threats are moronic. You have too much to lose to dump your plans now," she hissed at him mockingly in the rasp of the distorter. When he clenched his fists tighter and the muscle in his jaw twitched, she knew he was silenced. "Make the arrangements."_ **

**_She walked over to what was left of a post that rested in the middle of the village and leaned against it, crossing her arms. "It's going to be a long trip…"_ **

* * *

 

**_The contorted top of the tree had been a perfect perch to watch the battle from. He was quite pleased that everything was going according to plan. "That decoy is another matter…" the demon's fire orange gaze narrowed contemplatively. He leaned back on the shadowed trunk of the tree and bowed his head in thought._ **

**_A slight rustle of leaves tipped him off to his follower's presence. "Kokuzoku is dead, master," the youthful timber spoke apathetically from the curved branch that hung off to the side in the shade._ **

**_"I saw, Arasoi. He was going to betray me, just like I foresaw," the passive confidence in his voice leaked even more with his quirked slender lips pulling back in a candid smile._ **

**_"What do you wish me to do now, master?" the monotone inquired._ **

**_"Make the final arrangements," the fire-eyed figure responded as he pushed off the tree. "Kyouran is officially in my chess game, even if it was slightly different than what I foresaw," the man spoke as his pale gold skin and alabaster mane of hair emerged into the fading light that poured through the canopy of leaves._ **

**_The man's follower gazed avidly over his facial features, letting his cobalt aqua gaze linger over the light scar-like marks that lined his cheekbones, three under each eye. "Where will you retire to, master?" the boyish tenor spoke._ **

**_Directing his fire gaze to contemplate his loyal follower with a faraway look, Hiretsukan murmured, "To admire a young lady, and acquaint myself with her…"_ **

* * *

 

**_Maybe he should have taken that other road… The word 'maybe' had been on his mind all day. Maybe he should give up his apprenticeship, or maybe he should try being a farmer, or maybe he should take master Korokawua's advice and dedicate his life pursuits to a profession that doesn't take much brains, like studying martial arts. He fit the requirements; all brawn and hardly any sense. Not to mention that he could probably attract more women than he would with his peeping tom hobbies. He sighed, realizing that it was the word 'maybe' that had distracted him on his walk back in the first place. The sun had long set in the horizon and the trees and brush were alive with the nightly dialogue of insects and scurrying animals as he made his way back with the light of the moon that poured through the dark overhead._ **

**_Haku stretched his arms over his head and laced his fingers behind his head as he stared up at the moon. His carefree look was weighed by slight exhaustion from the day's journey back and forth from the market. It was the first commission job Korokawua had allowed him to go on unsupervised, and it had been a pretty sweet one; the merchant had many gorgeous daughters._ **

**_Grinning at himself as he thought of the girls, Haku started to stroll away from the pebble road over to an incline that overlooked a well known waterfall and river… which were very close to the hot springs. He knew it was a long shot to find any beautiful babes to peep at so late, but he figured that it was a better detour than the one he had taken in trying to get back to master Korokawua's home. Feeling the spray of the fall start to dampen his face, Haku crouched behind a choice river rock and looked over through the few trees that obscured his view of the hot springs below and off the riverbank._ **

**_He thought he heard a splash, but couldn't see from that angle, so he snuck across some rocks over to the other side of the waterfall and hopped down the flatter side of the incline. Hiding behind tall river rocks that faced the edge of the closest spring, Haku peeked over it and saw the discarded robes hanging off the branch of a tree on the corner of the spring. The splashing trailed and stopped as if someone was rising from the spring._ **

**_With a chibi grin, Haku poked his head around the rock and stared at the female's delicate curves and sloping shoulders as she tossed her long chocolate brown hair back and ran her fingers through the length. He started to salivate as his eyes leered over the small of her back, the curve of her hips and her tanned back._ **

**_He watched her slosh through the waist-deep pool of natural bubbling jets and lamented when she grabbed her white under robe and swung it over her shoulders, ending his show._ **

**_Kyouran needed the soak after spending so long in Katsumoto's constrictive armor. She lazily tied her robe shut and sat at the edge of the spring in relaxation. Aware that Katsumoto would continue his obnoxious bitching if he knew she had ditched him in the tent with the armor so she could retreat for a short training session with her new katana and then have a long soak in a spring, Kyouran decided to return at dawn and get back in the armor so he would have to keep his flagrant tone down and keep a low profile._ **

**_Haku silently griped about missing the beauty enter the spring, but took solace in the thought that he'd have ample material to keep his sex-driven mind occupied for the next millennium. Deciding to retreat before his eyes melted out of his sockets, he turned and went to scurry over some brush to make his way behind the cover of trees when his foot clanked something made of metal against smooth rock._ **

**_Instantly he was grabbed by the back of his gi and tossed into the hot spring. Jumping out of the water sputtering and yelping from the heat, Haku pulled his wild matted bangs out of his eyes to catch sight of the crimson death glare that was boring down at him._ **

**_"You!" Kyouran tersed out as she crossed her arms under her covered bust, her necklace dangling from her slender neck._ **

**_"Miss Kyouran!" Haku shouted in surprise and rose out of the pool. "Fancy running into you here! I was just taking a stroll in the night air—"_ **

**_"Five miles from the nearest village," she bore her scrutinizing gaze into him as he pulled the collar of his now sloshing gi with a goofy grin plastered on his face._ **

**_"I guess your alluring beauty attracted me over the vast distance, heh," he mused debonairly as he slicked his messy wet bangs back with his fingers._ **

**_"GET THE HELL OUT OF THE POOL, YOU JACKASS!"_ **

**_Complying quickly with the request, Haku sloshed out of the spring and stood at attention in front of her. "Yes miss luscious lips, or can I drop the miss and add babe?" he charmed with that damnable grin of his as she gave him an acid once over. "The last time we were together you had me seeing double you were so stunning—"_ **

**_"You saw double because of the concussion, you moron!" she barked in his carefree face._ **

**_"Nope! I'm pretty sure it was your stunning beauty," he quipped ruggedly and winked at her as he started wringing out the front of his gi._ **

**_Starting to fume, Kyouran was about to wipe the smirk off his face when she jerked her head to the top of the waterfall. Shoving Haku behind the big river rocks, she phased out just in time as the ground at their feet exploded, leaving a crater the size of a shallow grave. Appearing on one of the flat rocks jutting out of the river, Kyouran glared over with an iron semblance at the demon who sat with one leg dangling lazily off the mossy edge of a rock that stuck out of the waterfall._ **

**_Haku hauled himself up and around the rocks that protected him from the blast. "Miss Kyouran!"_ **

**_"Shut up and leave, human!" she growled at him, without taking her eyes off the demon that contemplated her thoughtfully. "You must be the middle man with a vision," she spoke in a low tone and narrowed her gaze when he smiled candidly at her._ **

**_"Kokuzoku must have mentioned that before he was blasted through," he mused almost affably as he leapt off his perch to land gracefully on the water. The waterfall's rushing stream made a breeze that tussled his long white mane around him as his fire orange eyes took her in with a faraway gaze. "That armor was doing nothing for your looks, Kyouran," he remarked smoothly, his voice like schooled velvet as he walked in a stride on the water. Phasing out, she appeared on his right and went on the attack. Going on the defensive with skill, the demon gazed at her with amusement. "Won't you let me introduce myself before we start this dance?" he remarked as he slid out of the way of a roundhouse._ **

**_When he went at her, they clashed, fighting for superiority in the grappling and pushing each other back with their ki. The river rippled madly with their movements on its surface. They stood sizing each other up, and then the demon straightened his back and looked over his shoulder at Haku. He swept the remaining dust and pebbles of the sizeable rock that had exploded against his back from the impact off of himself._ **

**_"Son Haku, I told you to get out of here!" Kyouran roared contemptuously at the blazing blue-eyed man._ **

**_Then the demon phased out and she sensed him behind her. Their battle went on like a choreographed dance on the water, kicks, flips and punches exchanged but never breaking through the defense. Kyouran's bare feet slid across the water as she spun to the side and swiped a kick under his legs, but he jumped to the top of the rock edge he had been on before._ **

**_"Well, since you're so reticent, I guess I'll introduce myself. I am known to the underground as Hiretsukan, but you can call me Iyashii," he smoothly stated as he looked down at her._ **

**_"What do you want with me, Hiretsukan," she commanded in a leveled tone._ **

**_With a mock frown, Iyashii Hiretsukan replied, "to see the young girl I never got to know, and to ask you nicely if you'll follow the destiny that I've foreseen for you."_ **

**_Snarling, her garnet pendant began to swirl as she ran at him._ **

**_"Kyouran!" Haku grabbed the sword that still lay where he had stepped on it and tossed it to her. She grabbed it out of the air and used her speed to propel her to the top of the rock edge and slash Hiretsukan across the chest with it. The demon didn't even flinch, and his candid smile spread across his thin lips._ **

**_Grabbing her wrist, wringing it to the side and pulling her close so her feet were on the edge of the rock, he stared into her face and said, "You wear that collar. What will it take to make you break free from it, my dear Fury?"_ **

**_Her eyes burned a glowing red as she bared her fangs and maneuvered her wrist out of his strong grip as she drove the blade to pierce his heart, breaking the sword in half. His front torso was like rock, not allowing any weapon to pierce through, but the attack allowed her to wring free and swing him off the rock edge to land in a skidding crouch on the river below. Still holding what was left of the sword, she flew at him in a rage._ **

**_"Come on, Fury. Where's that malevolent smirk you're trying to hide," he shouted as they battled. "It's so vivid in my visions, and it becomes you beautifully! Your twin star has been eager to see it."_ **

**_That made her flinch as the pendant flared a brilliant red and sent her aura to spike outward as she roared and uppercut him in the jaw, leaving him open to have the broken sword plunged into his side. Hiretsukan howled a shout of intense pain, grabbing his wounded side and holding the handle of the sword with wide eyes. He staggered back and on a knee on the flat rock in the middle of the river._ **

**_Kyouran pulled her aura back and tried to control her rage when his sudden bark of a maddened laugh pierced over the running of the waterfall._ **

**_"You're further along than foreseen," his velvet voice came in a haggard rasp as he pulled himself to his feet and licked the dark blood off his lips. He stared at her with a crazy faraway look, before smirking. "Your resistance is throwing things off, but your destiny is inevitable, Kyouran," he coughed as he stood straight, without bothering to pull the sword out of his side. Then in a sudden reflex, he threw an energy blast at her and disappeared when she deflected it easily up into the sky where it exploded like fireworks._ **

**_Trembling with suppressed rage, Kyouran strode back to the riverbank and passed a shocked and confused Haku who had witnessed everything. While he stared at her as she dressed, Haku mustered up the brazenness to say, "He isn't your type."_ **

**_Whirling on him, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into the closest tree. "Get your head out of your ass and understand this: I will kill you the next time you interfere in my affairs. Stay out of my way and don't ever speak to me again, you useless twit! Your infatuation makes me heave, your smirk boils my blood, and your mere existence exasperates me to kill," she snarled out at his wide-eyed but silent expression. Dropping him to the ground, she walked across the river and disappeared into the shadows of the dark trees, leaving him to sit under the now bruised tree with his equally bruised ego._ **

**_Sighing in exhaustion and wounded pride, Son Haku closed his eyes as a wry smile pulled his lips. "Maybe training in the martial arts academy wouldn't be such a bad idea…"_ **

* * *

 

**_He roared in pain as he pulled the broken sword out of his side and threw it against the cave wall where it broke to unrecognizable metal. Iyashii Hiretsukan hadn't seen that coming. Her resistance was throwing his premonitions off, but as he told her, her destiny was inevitable…_ **

**_"Master!" the horrified shout echoed in the cave. Hiretsukan's follower ran to him and was pushed back by the snarling demon._ **

**_"It isn't important, Arasoi! Just a miscalculation," he grumbled as he stood straighter, letting the black wound drip blood through his clothes and down his side._ **

**_Although he hesitated from his masters chide, the pale blue-skinned follower went to his master's side after retrieving a metal shard left over from the sword. The fire of Hiretsukan's eyes blazed into the cobalt aqua of the youthful demon as he squeezed his fist shut and cut his hand severely. Dropping the burgundy-stained shard to the cave floor, Arasoi pressed his bloody hand to his master's side, making the other man stare at him with his faraway contemplation as the boyish figure's blood smeared and seeped into his wound. He felt the wound start to mend until the searing pain that had been shooting into his side and all over his nerves dissipated. His follower rested his head on his shoulder and pressed his slender muscular build against his._ **

**_Hiretsukan loved the power his premonitions gave him over the will of others. He knew just how to influence those to do his bidding, Arasoi being his second and most successful betrayal; his loyalty has been the best thing he's taken advantage of since the path to his ultimate destiny became known to him._ **

**_"Arasoi…I think it's time to consider my insurance policy, for you and my destiny," he mused as he brushed the back the boyish follower's long braided raven hair, his eyes of orange fire contemplating his next step on the path._ **

**_The boyish demon shut his almond, cobalt aqua eyes. "Your destiny is mine, master…"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese terms:
> 
> Uesama - emperor  
> Kitsune - Fox  
> (no) Aka - Red  
> Edo - ancient name for Tokyo  
> Edo-jo - Tokyo Castle  
> Touseigusoku- samurai armor  
> Senpai- upperclassmen or some sort of superior


	13. A Tenor Disposition

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**"SONUVABITCH!"**

**Piccolo slammed the refrigerator door and snarled at it before stomping out of the kitchen and almost plowing over a wide-eyed Sofia. Staring down at her as she stared up at him from the floor, he bared his fangs and stepped over her, grumbling and muttering in intense agitation as he walked into the bathroom and slammed the wooden door shut.**

**Getting to her feet, Sofia raised her brows at the door before walking into the kitchen and finding out what the refrigerator did to offend him so. Opening the fridge, she rolled her eyes and slammed it shut. "Jesus-tap-dancing-Christ! He's the one going through all the bottled water and he has to have a fucking conniption when the fridge doesn't magically replenish it," she huffed to herself as she went into the pantry and retrieve more water. "Piccolo Manic Shit-fit is in full swing today. Jeez," she muttered as she stuck the warm bottles into the fridge until they took up two shelves. Slamming the door shut, she sighed and leant back on it. "Sprouting a dick isn't such a big deal. I mean, c'mon, he's got another person sharing his body! I think a dick is the least of his worries," she rationalized with herself as she pushed off the fridge and walked back into the main room.**

**While she went about stretching in preparation for the day's sparring, Piccolo was splashing cold water on his heated face and scowling murderously at his reflection in the mirror when the water wasn't soothing the perverse hormonal imbalance he was going through. He had spent the last week guzzling through twice as much water as he would in a month, and it just left him full but hot all over still. He leant petulantly against the wall, flexing his arms and trying to relieve the tension that had made him sore in places he was trying to ignore all together.**

**Growling at himself, he glared around the room that had become his sanctuary during the past week. Cold showers, laying on the always chilly tiles of the main room with bags of ice on his chest and forehead, and guzzling all the bottled water was exhausting as it was frustrating. Not to mention doing this while Sofia was asleep meant he got no rest himself. A week had gone by since the physiological incident, and he swore off sleep after many humiliating instances.**

**After chasing Sofia and not being able to incinerate her, Piccolo had stalked back to the palace and forced himself to sleep. He had a pounding headache and meditation was moot, so he pulled his weighted gear off and collapsed face first into the plush bed of the main room. After tossing and turning in his sleep, Piccolo snapped awake and sat bolt right up in bed, covered in sweat and flush-faced. _What the hell was that?!_ He felt tense all over, and his body was burning up. When he shifted on the bed, his attention was brought to the erection tenting his gi leggings. Worried to be caught by Sofia, he ran to the bathroom and shut himself in. **

**Pacing and exasperated by the stubbornness of the appendage, Nail had suggested maybe a cold shower and creating a blank in his mind would help. He stayed under a cold shower spray until Sofia banged on the door to use the bathroom many hours later. He had managed to conceal his arousal, and swiftly lost it when she made a lewd comment about him needing to borrow some of Master Roshi's stag stash. The next instance had been even worse. He could remember the dream vividly. It was heated and primal, coming in flashes of erotic emotion and need. Sofia pinned under his weight; undressing him with haste; undressing her with lust. Piccolo had woken up reluctantly from the dream, only snapping himself fully awake when he realized he was bucking his hips slightly off the bed. He bolted up to sit with his back against the headboard, and was antagonized once again by his insistent erection bulging from his pants. That, and the wet spot that dampened his pants. _This fucking thing LEAKS now?!_**

**Needless to say, after burning the incriminating pants and sheets, and another stint under the freezing shower spray, he swore off sleep. Piccolo glared at himself in the mirror before walking over to the toilet, muttering sourly. Even attending to the asinine physiological need of urinating had become even more of an aggravation. His once sexless groin would simply slip his urethra out and he could urinate while standing over the toilet bowl, then simply merge back into his body when he was relieved. Now, he had to actually _hold_  the damned appendage to pee into the toilet, a fact he learned the hard way the day after acquiring it. He huffed now with disgust as he freed his antagonist of the past week after lifting the toilet seat.  _Ok, aim straight and down, and don't piss on your shoes again,_  he mentally chided himself before relieving himself.  _Now shake it off before you put it back so it doesn't leave a stain,_  he instructed himself, feeling like a human child. He was annoyed when after many pissing mishaps he recollected the few times he had witnessed Gohan relieving himself during that first year of training before the Saiyans. He even remembered the first and last time he peed with the seat down in the Son house; a felony Son's harpy of a mate paid him back with a slight concussion from a heavy pan and the labor of having to wipe the seat off himself. He had made it a habit to lift the seat and put it back down after the incident. **

**After tucking himself back into his pants and adjusting his sash, Piccolo washed his hands sorely and exited the bathroom, only to be assaulted by the music that was echoing from Sofia's quarters. He walked over to the doorway and watched Sofia sway and dance to the music, obviously in the middle of her changing from her pajama shirt and hot pant underwear.**

"aishite mo ii kai? yureru yoru ni  
arugamama de ii yo motto fukaku  
kuruoshii kurai ni nareta kuchibiru ga tokeau hodo ni  
boku wa...kimi no...Vanilla"

**Sofia sang and made wanton gestures to an imaginary spectator, her hairbrush in her hand acting as her microphone. The musical accompaniment went on, and she swayed her hips to the harmony.**

**Piccolo just watched her. He felt compelled to leave and just brood outside, but he was attracted by her fluid and sensual dance. Sofia giggled, turned to turn off the boombox, and was startled by him. He was scowling at her, so she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, I'm turning it off now. Spare me the belly aching," she tersely chided and turned the music off.**

**"What was that," he remarked, referring to the music she had been dancing to.**

**"Oh," she was surprised he showed interest in the music, considering she played it before with no reaction. "Gackt. That song was 'Vanilla' _—_ "**

**"And you have to dance like that?" He said in an odd tone.**

**Sofia stared at him warily before snapping herself into an outfit for the day. "It's the way the rhythm sways that told me to dance like that. Why do you care?" she said curiously as she tugged on a pair of Capsule Corp.-esque boots. When his only answer was to look at her tensely before stalking back to the kitchen, Sofia took notice and smiled. _Was he checking me out?!_**

**She hurriedly put her hair up and ran into the main room. She heard the fridge slam shut, and already knew he was chugging more water. She had noticed his moodiness and all-out hostility for the past week, and for the most part gave him his space. But training had begun to frustrate him as it had her when she had been like a bitch in heat the week before. She figured it was his aggravation with having to learn how to protect his new sensitive spot. She had no idea what the deal was with all the water, but joked that he was probably trying to piss his cock off. She snickered, and earned a moody grunt as Piccolo appeared from the kitchen.**

**"What's with the goofy shit lately," he grumbled, his features in a scowl.**

**She chuckled and sat on the bed. "Your mood swings are affecting me. Wanna talk about it?" she joked, earning a growl from him and a huffy exit out to the void. She grunted to herself, and figured she'd give them distance before following.**

**Piccolo stalked away from the palace, not sure if she was following, but not wanting to look over his shoulder to see if she was.**

**'Why don't you just relax and let your attraction for her become evident? You're probably making it much more difficult than it has to be,' Nail chimed softly to his counterpart.**

**' _Nail_ , not now. Not ever, alright?!'**

**'Not now to making it evident, or not now to my speaking?' Nail inquired knowingly.**

**'Just shut UP! I don't want to hear your psycho-babble.'**

**'All I am saying is that you need to stop suppressing your feelings and let things happen _—_ ' **

**'Let what happen?! My mating with her? Is that it?!'**

**'…that would be a good start in the right direction.' Nail said in a shrugged tone.**

**Piccolo began to fume. 'Listen. I am not going to humor your idiotic and fanciful thoughts. Leave me alone.' Piccolo growled contumely.**

**"PICCOLO! Are we going to train or are you going to power walk into the distance?" he skidded to a halt in his stalking stride and faced her. She stopped as his surly scowl focused on her. "So…?" she inquired neutrally, not wanting an all-out shit fit to hit her.**

**"I'm not in the mood for taijutsu," he muttered gruffly. "So you're going to practice ki manipulation."**

**Sofia stood straighter and perked. "Really? It's about time!" she strode over to shorten the distance between them. "I thought you were going to continue kicking me like a puppy the whole time we were in here," she mused to see if she could alleviate his surliness.**

**"Just shut up and concentrate on powering up," he snapped gruffly at her.**

**_So much for alleviating his mood,_ ** **she muttered mentally and did as she was told. She concentrated and started building up the ki. The swirling heat of her energy started surging through her bloodstream. She willed it to flood every tissue, and pushed it to boil over until it seethed outward into her aura.**

**Piccolo watched dejectedly as she powered up. He crossed his arms when her crimson aura started licking outward, surging wildly like a burning mist. _Sloppy. And she's taking forever to power up. If she was in a rage then she'd be powered up in 3 seconds flat,_ Piccolo surmised as he replayed all her flare ups over the few months, and figured she needed major work on harnessing her ki and manipulating it without having her emotions motivate her.**

**Sofia set her jaw as she felt the ki crackle over her skin and started baring down on her body, making her flex her arms to her sides, with her fists balled up until her knuckles were white. She pushed more and more, waiting for Piccolo to instruct her, but he only stared intensely at her, apathy and feigned boredom crossing his features. The ki was becoming harder to exert, and her muscles were straining under the fatigue and exertion. Her hair began to lift and dance languidly around her, having come undone from her bun. Sweat began to collect on her forehead, and she bared her fangs as she felt a hot flood of ki surge through every vein and saunter out into her aura.**

**Piccolo couldn't believe she was lagging so much. "By the time you power up in the middle of a battle, your opponent will have incinerated you with one blast," he muttered coarsely. "You need a lot of work, kid."**

**Sofia blinked at him and felt her aura cascade over her as her ki fizzled and the hot energy in her veins roared and weighed back into dormancy. She staggered and grabbed the pendant on her chest when the heat of the stone scolded her through her shirt. She was panting from the exertion, with Piccolo looking down at her cynically. "Charging up a ki blast doesn't take me long _—_ "**

**"Did I ask you to charge a ki blast? No," he barked, crossing his arms with a commanding air. "You can't even hold your ki constant for more than 15 seconds. Your emotions have reign over your damned potential, and you need to learn how to tap into it without going irate!"**

**Sofia glared defiantly at him. "So you fight without emotion? I'm pretty sure you taught Gohan to tap into his emotions when he was in battle _—_ "**

**"You are _not_  Gohan, so don't compare yourself to him!" Sofia stared at him. Piccolo huffed and continued in a vexed tone, "The circumstances are different. Gohan was afraid of his own shadow back then. He had to be conditioned to use his anger to his advantage. It's the opposite with you; you feed off of it too much. You lose it and go blind with rage. I want you to power up at the drop of a hat, and keep it constant for an indefinite period of time."**

**Sofia just stared at him. Her features were in the trained iron mask she used to keep him out. The brown of her eyes looked black from how hard they were. A garnet glow illuminated the pendant that rested over her bust. Piccolo knew all too well what that meant.**

**However, he was surprised when she closed her eyes and the red glow subsided and went dormant again. She clenched her hands into fists and concentrated. Soon enough, the air around her kicked up and gusted around in all directions. Then, she suddenly shouted a cry and began powering up. The electricity broke out around her as her aura began to seethe hotter and redder. Piccolo stared at her with clenched jaw and narrowed gaze. Instead of the burning mist quality of before, her aura took on a tightly compacted flame-like quality around her. Her haired tossed sensually around her as she threw her head back and shouted as a rush of ki flooded her bloodstream and swirled into every tissue.**

**She had cut the power-up time in half, now all she had to do was keep it up. Piccolo crossed his arms and began circling around her. Sofia was baring her fangs from her efforts, her eyes tightly shut.**

**"Open your eyes and focus," he commanded in a monotone as he stood in front of her again. She opened them, but narrowed them as he frowned at her. "You can't let your rage take over you. If you do, you become blind and stupid in battle. Do you understand, kid?"**

**Sofia sneered. " _Shut up, Namek_!" she hissed between clenched teeth. Piccolo looked at her with a berating stare. "I'll fight as I please, and use whatever I have to do the job, so stop preaching out of your ass!" she ground between her teeth and dropped out of her powering up stance. Her ki was still tightly enveloping her, hair tossing around her languidly. Her skin seemed to glow from her aura. "I powered up, and I'm keeping it constant, so what now?" she tersely ground out at him.**

**Piccolo was interested to see where this would go. "Just move and don't get blasted," he said in his husky grunting tone before phasing out and reappearing several feet above her in the white sky. Instantly, he charged an attack and blasted it towards her. Sofia dodged it, only to come face to face with another gold blast heading towards her. Wide-eyed, she flipped out of the way. Both attacks crashed raucously in the distance, the boom echoing and reverberating across the ground. "You can move faster than that! Unless that aura of yours is slowing you down," Piccolo shouted from above her.**

**"Blow it out of your ass, Piccolo!" with that, a steady and rapid stream of energy balls and blasts were showered across her. Sofia dodged, maneuvered, flipped, and phased out of the way of each one, with her aura still scintillating around her. Landing on her feet from a haggard flip, her feet were blown out from under her by a nearby blast, making her fall on her back. She sensed Piccolo standing above her head, charging a blast aimed at her face. Turning and flipping, she got back on the defensive after swatting the attack away from her.**

**"Good, kid. Very good," Piccolo remarked passively as he tossed an energy ball up and down in his palm. Sofia powered her aura to flare outward before phasing out. Piccolo shook his head and turned just as Sofia phased behind him and thrust the energy into her face. Sofia skidded many yards away. She hissed at her burning forearms, having brought them up to protect her face almost too late. "Maybe you'll catch this one," Piccolo appeared off to her side and shot an intense blast that whirled towards her. Sofia faced the blinding light and shot her own blast to collide against it. The sonic boom that tore through the blasts canceled both of the energies out, but roared between Piccolo and Sofia so fiercely that it violently blew them back.**

**Piccolo landed and rolled onto his back, the right side of his face stinging from having collided against the white ground. The sonic waves rippled and died down, allowing him to sit up and grab his injured elbow. It was smarting sharply and he knew he cracked the joint bone. Sneering, he stood up and surveyed his surroundings, looking for Sofia.**

**_Damn brat overdid it again,_ ** **he ground in his mind as he finally caught sight of her about half a football field's distance away. He stalked towards her, annoyed that she was still sitting on her ass. His elbow was sore, but almost healed, so he let his arm fall back to his side. Sofia was sitting on the ground, trembling in rage when he came up behind her.**

**"Get off your ass and stop sulking," Piccolo muttered haughtily at her. Then he noticed she was cradling her left shoulder. "What did you do to your shoulder?"**

**Sofia snapped her burning gaze at him over her uninjured shoulder and snarled. "Like I purposely landed on my shoulder and dislocated it, you ass! God you're dense!"**

**Piccolo growled. "Watch your damned attitude! Let me see," he commanded after kneeling next to her.**

**Sofia jerked away and glared daggers of contempt at him. "I don't trust you," she growled like a caged tigress.**

**Piccolo inwardly frowned from her remark, and watched her protect her shoulder from his touch. Vexed, he grabbed her folded legs and jerked them towards him, forcing her to face him. Sofia stared at him with wide eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you! Just stay still and let me see," he grumbled austerely, adding, "I owe you from the last time I got injured…"**

**Sofia narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Fine, But-don't-touch-it," she stated gruffly and pulled her hand away. It was hardly noticeable, but Piccolo could tell her shoulder had popped out of socket, since it was jutting forward more than it should.**

**Without touching it, he knew she hadn't torn any muscles or pinched any nerves; just a simple shove back into the socket and it would be good as new. "I have to align your shoulder and shove it back into place. It won't hurt too much, if I do it right," he stated in a relaxed tone and looked into her eyes. Sofia wasn't letting her emotional defenses fall. She gave a curt nod and allowed him to touch her shoulder.**

**He gently grabbed her shoulder and with his fingers felt out how he should pop the joint back into socket. He looked in her eyes again to silently tell her to relax, allowing his grip on her shoulder to become firmer. Just as he was about to force it back, Sofia stopped him. "Wait! You're going to force it back too hard from that angle. I have to brace myself against you so you don't jerk my arm too far."**

**"Suddenly an expert? Just relax," Piccolo muttered impatiently.**

**"I'll relax when you comply with my request, Namek," she shot back sourly.**

**Piccolo relented and grunted. He folded his legs as Sofia shuffled closer and threw her legs over his folded lap so she could brace her right side against his left shoulder. Her hand gripped his padded shoulder. "Ready?" he muttered. She shook her head yes. Doing a silent count to 3, he shoved her shoulder back into socket, earning a hissed inhale of breath from her.**

**She grabbed her shoulder and felt around it. _Doesn't even feel sore,_  she said to herself and rotated the shoulder front and back. It was fine. She pulled her legs off his lap and stood up, allowing Piccolo to do the same. "Thanks," she said and gave him an intense stare. Piccolo shifted his gaze and grunted in acceptance. Sofia couldn't help herself, so she tugged on the front of his cape and pulled him down for a light peck on the lips. **

**Piccolo pulled away and glared murderously at her. "Do that again and I'll knock all your limbs out of their sockets!" he spat haughtily at her and pushed her out of the way, stalking back to the palace.**

**Sofia smiled and decided to do something that could make Piccolo even more intolerant of her affections. She ran at him and glomped him from behind, clinging to the back of his neck. "Baby, you can do more than that, if you promise to give me one peek of your little Shenron!" she said in a sultry tone and kissed the back of his ear.**

**"Little Shenron….OH DAMN YOU! GET THE HELL OFF MY BACK YOU PERVERT!"**

**"AW! BUT I WANNA SEE YOUR MAN MEAT! PLEASE! SHARE WITH ME!" Sofia shouted in a squeal, laughing and enjoying riding Piccolo's back like a dangerous rollercoaster just about to go off its tracks.**

**Piccolo tried to shake her and pull her off, but she was on him like a cat on a tree. Growing tense from having her so close to him, Piccolo pulled his shoulderpads and cape off in one swoop as a last ditch effort of removing her from his back. Sofia yelped and fell to the ground with the 80 plus pound-weighted gear on top of her. When he looked back at her, she had spirals in her eyes and was groaning from the weight planted on her torso. Piccolo glared down at her and growled menacingly. "You damned succubus! I have half of mind to leave you anchored here," he snarled down at her.**

**"Oh wow…I didn't know God was so hawt. Talk about dying and going to heaven! I can't wait to get my lips on those ears," Sofia wheezed and chuckled deviantly up at Piccolo and his blush-tinted cheeks.**

**"STAY OUT HERE AND SEE IF I GIVE A DAMN, YOU HORMONAL HARPY!" he shouted as he stalked back to the palace in an embarrassed huff, leaving Sofia out in the void under his heavy shoulderpads.**

**After a few seconds, Sofia tried shifting the weighted gear off of her. "Hah...it was worth it," she snickered and finally shoved the heavy gear off. Standing and stretching her stomach and back muscles, she gave the palace a Cheshire grin. "I wonder if he's taking a piss right now…"**

* * *

 

**Piccolo growled grumpily as he flushed and set the seat back down on the toilet bowl. He washed his hands and scowled murderously at himself in the mirror. What was he going to do about this damned appendage? He couldn't honesty continue cloaking his arousals, as well as spend indefinite periods of time barricaded in the bathroom under the artic shower stray. Not when Sofia wouldn't lay off of him and leave him be!**

**Turning the sink off, he yanked the sliding wooden door open and stepped out.**

**"How's little Shenron doing?" He froze as he stepped out into the main room, finding Sofia staring at him mischievously, elbows propped on the mattress with her hands cradling the sides of her face, her legs kicking up and down.**

**A tempered vein throbbed to life on his temple. He answered her flagrant comment with a searing glare, followed by grabbing the turban off his head and throwing it at her. Of course she simply stopped it with her telekinetic abilities, freezing it in front of her and letting it float down to the floor.**

**"I've had enough of your weighted shit attacking me today, thank you," she muttered with a sadistically narrowed gaze.**

**Piccolo huffed and ignored her, stalking over to sit on the floor at the end of the bed. He crossed his arms and went into the lotus position, feigning meditation in hopes that she would leave him in peace.**

**'She knows you're faking,' Nail remarked with ebbed humor in his tone.**

**Sure enough, he was proved right when Sofia rolled over to the end of the plush purple bed and whispered goofily, "Hi Nail…he's pretending to meditate, but his nostrils are flaring, so I know he's just being pissy."**

**Nail chuckled at his counterpart's expense. Turning his head to glare back at her, Piccolo growled between clenched teeth, " _Shut_ - _up_."**

**Her expression turned into a mock quivering pout as she replied with a child-like tone, "Piccylow is being a grumpy meanie!"**

**Growling in mounting exasperation he turned away from her and said, "You both need to shut-up!"**

**Sofia blinked at him. "Why? Is Nail hitting on you too?" she asked with feigned curiosity.**

**'Ew...' Nail said with ebbed disgust at the implication.**

**"GAUGH! NO! He is NOT! At least he's not a damned pervert! I just wish he would shut his immaterial mouth! If I have to deal with bitching I'd prefer for it not to be in my _head_!" Piccolo barked in a snide tone as he stood up to try and compose himself.**

**'You make it seem like you really don't like having me in your confidence,' Nail quipped dryly, adding, 'You could appreciate the help I am; how else would you know about the mating ritual you want to initiate with your growing infatuation here.'**

**"Dammit Nail! I swear to Kami you better shut up right NOW!" Piccolo hissed out loud at his counterpart, causing Sofia to sit up and raise her eyebrows at him.**

**"Jeez. Why don't you just split from him for a couple of hours?" Sofia inquired simply and crossed her legs over the edge of the bed.**

**Piccolo's expression devolved into a thin line for a mouth and two little dots for eyes that stared at her cynically. "Oh. Why haven't I thought of that before? I wonder _—_ Oh that's right—  _BECAUSE WE ARE PERMANENTLY FUSED TO EACH OTHER, YOU DITZ_!" Piccolo's sarcastic chide turned into a hostile berate as he glowered at her like she was a retarded monkey. **

**Sofia returned his 'you-retarded-bastard' glare right back at him as she snapped matter-of-factly, "I didn't say unfuse from him, you horse's ass! I said split from him. Clean those freaking satellites of yours!"**

**Gripping the muscles of his upper arms tightly in his cross-armed stance, Piccolo shut his eyes as a wave of impatience threatened to send him off the handle. He couldn't believe anyone could infuriate him this much; she was giving Son a run for his damned money…or food, which ever.**

**Drawing his brows sharply together, he scoffed, "It's the same difference, brat! The semantics are interchangeable—"**

**"Jesus, Piccolo! Read a fucking book! Semantics are interchangeable—you sound like an asshole! You're telling me that every time you spar with a split form you're unfusing a part of your soul from your body? No! You're _splitting_  a clone from yourself, hence  _split form_ , you ass! All you have to do is create a split form and let Nail insert his conscious into it; it's simple metaphysics! But of course you have your head so far up your ass the pressure doesn't allow for logical thought," she concluded her sharp rebuke by crossing her arms and giving him a contemptible glare.**

**Piccolo just stared blankly at her, his mind churning slowly to process whether or not he had actually tried splitting from Nail as opposed to unfusing. He drew a blank, and was exacerbated in his feeling of idiocy when Nail drawled, 'It's so ingenious that we either ignored it or were just too dense to think of it.'**

**"I figured you two were too busy blowing each other to think of something so simple," Sofia quipped sharply, snapping both Nameks out of their IQ determinations. "Jesus, all the bitching you two have probably done could've been solved with a few hours of isolation from each other."**

**Both Nameks humphed mentally at each other and were at a proverbial loss.**

**Growing impatient with Piccolo's 'too-stupid-to-react' silence, Sofia growled, "Do you need a kick in the ass to jump start you? Hurry up and try it so you can see how numb-nutted you two have been!"**

**Both were jolted by the possibility of being their own Namek again.**

**'So, you create the split form, but I merge myself into it, correct?' Nail sounded wary, earning a grunt from Piccolo.**

**'I ain't asking her.'**

**'Sigh…fine. I'm ready when you are.'**

**Piccolo closed his eyes and focused. His frame began to glow with an eerie aura. Sofia shielded her eyes as the glow turned into a stark blast of light. When the glow dissipated, she let her forearm drop from her face. Her jaw dropped as she stared from one figure to the other.**

**'Nail?' Piccolo received no answer, prompting him to look to his side at the clone that just split from him.**

**"Did it work?" The curious tenor of Nail's voice sounded strange to him, then he realized it was because he was actually speaking out loud. He looked down at his hands, flexing the muscles of his arms when he squeezed his hands into fists. Then he touched at his face, shutting his eyes as he relished the feel of corporeal flesh. He opened his eyes, blinking at Piccolo after he grunted curiously.**

**"It worked. You're even in your own clothes," Piccolo muttered with a monotone, crossing his arms and slightly smirking, thanks to the solitude he had in his mind.**

**Nail couldn't help but let the broad smile liven his expression as he chuckled, his tone a tenor rasp. Then both felt the glancing back and forth they were receiving from a mystified Sofia.**

**After minutes of staring back and forth, she stood on the bed and surveyed them closer, leaning into their personal spaces and staring at both as if they were oddities in a museum. Then Sofia focused her devolved expression on Nail, leaning even closer. Nail sweatdropped.**

**"…Nail…?" She finally piped, her features not wavering from its dotted gaze and oval-shaped mouth.**

**Raising a brow ridge, Nail replied, "Yes?"**

**He was swiftly glomped and tackled to the floor. Piccolo grunted with a surprised stare and watched as Sofia squealed happily and hugged Nail's neck, while his counterpart just stared blankly at him then at her.**

**"OHMYGODNAIL!" another squeal erupted from her as she swiftly grabbed his arm and began dragging him away towards the doorway leading into her quarters. Nail protested out of confusion, but didn't fight the iron grip that held his forearm nor tried to prevent her from dragging him like a heavy plaything.**

**"Hey _—_ HEY!" Piccolo shouted, halting Sofia and cutting Nail's feeble protests off. They both stared at him like shocked children as he glowered at both of them. "Where the hell are you two going?"**

**Sofia blinked at him, then chirped, "I'm going to hug and squeeze Nail to pieces in private. Then I'm going to sit on his lap and stare up at him with googlely eyes while he talks to me, so I'll just be going—"**

**"Oh no you won't!" Piccolo curtly cut in, crossing his arms and focusing his now icy glare on Nail. "He and I have some business to attend to."**

**It was Nail's turn to blink at him. "And what business would that be?" he inquired wryly, not budging from his sprawled position on the floor.**

**"How many times have I told you that I would find a way to kick your ass?" the rhetorical question was punctured by his sinister tone.**

**"Oh, _that_  kind of business," Nail chimed nonchalantly. He then look up at Sofia and said with an affable grin, "hug and squeeze me to pieces, ne? I'm all yours."**

**Sofia squealed and without batting an eye, she resumed dragging Nail away into her quarters before Piccolo could object. Growling, he stomped towards her room and looked in just as she rounded the corner of the arch entranceway, seeing Nail wave and laugh as he disappeared around the back of the palace.**

**He had been about to go after them, but stopped in his tracks and came to a realization. "Peace and quiet for the next two hours," he silently relished the possibility and dismissed going after them. "Ah, to hell with it. I need a break anyway."**

* * *

 

**Nail pressed his back on the golden-domed roof as he laughed jovially, while Sofia grinned at him from her perch on the edge of the ledge. They had easily spent their time chatting and joking genially with each other, a much-needed change from their one-on-one interaction with Piccolo.**

**"Well I shouldn't laugh. Gohan's mother gave Piccolo such a bad concussion that I was feeling dizzy for him," Nail quipped and chuckled as Sofia snickered.**

**"Damn, I would've ki blasted the hell out of him if he had done it too," she giggled. "You don't piss on the seat ever!" She then went into a fit of hysterical giggles, imagining the brooding and surly Namek spraying and scrubbing a toilet seat clean.**

**Nail shook his head wryly and contentedly sighed. "It's so nice to be in my own body, even if it is only for a definite period of time," he mused soberly and smiled.**

**Sofia huggled him in a flash. "I'm so stoked we finally got to meet and hang out. Piccolo is such an antisocial Green Bean," she joked, earning a short laugh from the social Namek.**

**"Imagine being stuck in his head. I end up irritating him on purpose just so I won't get bored," he mockingly frowned and cringed, adding, "the horror of going back to his boring head is just too awful."**

**Sofia laughed again, rolling to lay on her back against the domed roof. "Sigh, he's exhausting. Dealing with him and my freaky dreams are wearing me out. And that's not even factoring in the training and sparring," she pouted at Nail when he snorted.**

**"It's vice versa for him lately. He hasn't been able to meditate for months now. You're dancing on his nerves, I'm afraid," he snickered dryly, getting Sofia to gaze at him intensely. He blinked innocently at her. "What?"**

**She sat up on her side and quirked an eyebrow at him. "You're so different from how you were on Namek. You seemed like this reticent, stoic, and dutiful warrior. I don't think your voice even changed inflections, at least not until Frieza…" she trailed off as his expression sobered.**

**He sighed pensively, lacing his fingers together to rest his hands behind his head. "I had a lot of responsibilities then. For the last few years before Frieza's invasion, I volunteered to be Guru-sama's right hand. I still trained, took care of some of the hatchlings, and did whatever task needed of me. There wasn't much time to just enjoy, I guess," Nail remarked docilely, turning his head to look at her as he added, "after you come within an inch of your life you start to see what you never enjoyed."**

**Sofia nodded and gained a pensive look. She took in his appearance, which in her side of the void was that of a Michelangelo-esque physique; he was slender-but-muscularly built, with skin that looked more jade than Piccolo's emerald. His lips were more slender than Piccolo's and his eyes shone like a deep coal hue, but both could be mistaken for twins either way. Focusing on his words, she remarked, "Death can do a lot, especially when it keeps following you."**

**Nail sat up. "The priestess you were reincarnated from?" he inquired, receiving a nod from Sofia as she too sat up. "What are the dreams?"**

**She shrugged. "Moments of her life, mostly. At first they were really jumbled, but now they're falling into a type of chronology. I think they're trying to tell me who her killer is _—_ er was, but it's like it's just out of my reach," she answered demurely, earning a hum from Nail.**

**A comfortable pause rested between them. That is, until Nail remarked, "At least we got off the subject of Piccolo."**

**Sofia contemplated the fact and realized that they had indeed spent most of the time talking and joking about Piccolo. She slightly blushed. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm stuck on that track," she mumbled bashfully.**

**Nail hummed again. "It doesn't bother me. I'm used to it already," he replied nonchalantly.**

**"Oh." Sofia sighed, and Nail smiled, amused that she didn't pick up his veiled admittance. "I guess he bitches about me to you a lot." On second thought, she did pick up part of his meaning.**

**"He complains a lot, yes. But it is usually about how he can't ignore his akin feelings," he trailed off knowingly.**

**Sofia sighed dramatically. She chewed on her inner cheek as she pondered over his statement, but decided to let it rest. _I gotta give the topic a rest…_**

**A pleasant silence reigned between them, until Sofia got a mischievous look, and directed it at Nail.**

**"Nail…?"**

**"Yes…?"**

**"…since you're in a split form derived from Piccolo, did you happen to acquire anything you didn't have before?" she asked impishly and set her sly expression into mock curiosity.**

**Quirking a brow ridge curiously, he pondered out loud, "I don't think so. I feel like I am in my own body. Is there something you've noticed?"**

**Sofia stifled her impish expression when he looked at her. "Oh, well, I was just wondering if you got the faucet to go with the plumbing, if you know what I mean," she crooned slyly and sat closer to him.**

**Confusion quirking his cool expression, he grunted. "Why would my body have plumbing?"**

**Sofia's Cheshire grin couldn't be stifled as she beamed, "Do you have a little Shenron in your pants, Nail? Take a peek!"**

**His blank stare lit with realization and he stared down at his crotch. Sofia couldn't help but check out his exposed sculpted abs while he pulled his navy blue sash back and peeked into his white gi leggings. A pause came as he stared aloofly down at himself.**

**"Well…that's new," he finally quipped dryly.**

**Biting her lip, she practically pounced on him as she petitioned, "Let me see!"**

**"Wha-Why?!" Nail stuttered at her brazenness, shifting away from her as she advanced.**

**"Because Piccolo won't let me have a peek and I'm _dying_  to see what it looks like! C'mon! Please? Let me see," she whined sorely.**

**Just as Nail was about to protest, she made and effort to pounce into his lap, so he swiftly got up and dove off the roof, landing in a graceful crouch before running into her quarters, with Sofia right on his heels. "I don't think that would be appropriate! Maybe if you're patient he'll flash you _—_ ACK!" Nail's negotiated protest was thwarted as Sofia dove for his waist and grabbed his pants. **

**Trying to yank them low while he battled to keep them above his waist, they both rolled around the cool tile floor, shouting, giggling, and protesting to the other's thwarting actions. Finally getting free from her grip with a twist of his hips, Nail staggered up and dashed into the main room, with Sofia giggling and frolicking after him.**

**"Your hormones are getting the best of you! You don't really want to see me in the nude and you know it," he argued in between laughs as they unofficially grappled and dodged each other.**

**"Are you KIDDING? Nail! You're so hawt and charming, I can't help but throw myself at you," she sauntered in between her giggles and managed to grab a fist full of his dark blue sleeveless coat, making him skid in his retreat. He whipped around, yanking the hide coat out of her grasp and tried to run backwards, but ended up stumbling in his retreat, allowing her to glomp and cling to his chest as they fell to the ground.**

**They laid on the floor, laughing and giggling like platonic friends, Sofia resting on top of him with her hands around his neck and Nail circling her waist and hugging her to him.**

**They laughed until they couldn't breathe, then were brusquely cut off from resuming their peels of humor.**

**"A- _hem_!" Both froze in mid inhaled breath and looked up at the unamused Namek brooding over them with crossed arms and tapping foot. **

**Staring up at him innocently, both ended up looking at each other, and then burst into raucous laughter all over again.**

**Piccolo's brows knitted together as he sneered down at them. "What the hell is going on with you two?" he growled, only earning more peels of laughter.**

**Sofia buried her face into Nail's neck as she snorted loudly, spurring a bark of laughter from Nail that cut off his attempt at explaining.**

**Becoming fiercely irritated by their closeness and exclusion of him with the laughing, Piccolo growled almost in jealousy as he yanked Sofia up off of Nail by the seat of her pants, causing her to pause in her hysterics and look down at Nail, who just grinned up at her.**

**"NOOOO! I want to be with Neru-kun! I want Nail, not mean and grumpy Piccylow!" she shrilled like a finicky child being separated from her favorite toy, kicking and trying to wiggle out of his grasp.**

**Nail bit his lip to stifle the barks of laughter that wanted to burst out of him, and sat up to stare harmlessly at Piccolo as he cajoled, "Let her down and let her be with me. You always get to spend time with her."**

**Sofia added to the petition by protesting and whining in such an annoying way that Piccolo snarled and dropped her to the floor. "I knew leaving you two with each other was going to come back and bite me," he grumbled, watching with veiled agitation as Nail got up and took Sofia in his arms.**

**Carrying her with dramatic passion, he gave Sofia a conspiring wink, and both giggled as they wordlessly agreed to play up their mock infatuation in front of Piccolo.**

**"Oh Neru-kun. Keep me in your arms forever. I don't want to be separated from you," Sofia purred, nuzzling his neck for extra effect.**

**He chuckled deeply, replying in a sultry tone, "My delicate rose. I shall hold you to me with admiration and passion." He compounded the act by possessively tipping her chin up and letting his tenor go a level lower as he husked, "Don't look at no one other than me." Sofia's eyes turned into the dewy gloss of passion as she breathlessly sighed.**

**"Oh Neru-kun!"**

**"Oh Sofia-chan!"**

**"OH _would you cut that shit out already_!" Piccolo rumbled disdainfully as the two inched closer as if they were going to kiss; they paused and snickered at him. **

**Sofia giggled as Nail put her down. "I did warn you, Piccolo. If you didn't take advantage, I would," he teased ruggedly and crossed his arms, earning a gasp from Sofia.**

**"You would take advantage of me, my dear Neru-kun?" she protested with the inflection of a hurt lover, earning a mock gasp from Nail.**

**"I would never, my sweet Sofia-chan," they both turned with cheesy love-stricken expressions.**

**"Oh Neru-kun, I miss your chaste kisses already," she mewled, trying hard not to burst into silly giggles.**

**"And I already miss the fragrance of your hair, Sofia-chan," he stepped closer for emphasis, then whispered sultrily, "as well as the noises you make _—_ "**

**"ALRIGHT! That's enough of that disgusting mush!" Piccolo bellowed and parted them from doing anything funny, adding, "time's almost up. Say your stupid goodbyes and hurry up and join back."**

**Now Sofia looked genuinely stricken, looking up at Nail as he smiled sorrowfully.**

**She clung to him for a hug. "I had a lot of fun, Nail. Don't be a stranger," she said as she squeezed his waist, earning a grunt.**

**"I won't, but I'm sure we will both have to dutifully remind Piccolo to the matter," he chuckled and brushed some hair out of her face.**

**Piccolo just watched the display with a scowl that he was trying desperately not to let become a pout. He would miss the solitude, but that wasn't the reason he was displeased at the moment.**

**Sighing, Nail went to stand next to Piccolo. "Might as well do it now," he remarked stoically, earning an affirmative grunt from Piccolo. As he began to concentrate for the merger, Nail winked at Sofia just as the glow over took his frame as well, quickly shouting, "Piccolo is in a rut and in need of your assistance so don't let me down!"**

**Then in a flash, Piccolo stood alone, grinding his teeth together from Nail's parting remark. "That sonuvabitch!" he tersely ground between clenched jaw.**

**Sofia just laughed until she couldn't breathe, grabbing hold of Piccolo's arm as she stumbled. "Hahahahaha _—_ he always gets the last word-hahaha-hehe," she chimed in between her fit, earning a sulky grunt from him as he wretched his arm away and turned on his heel to stalk back inside the palace.**

**Sofia sighed, hiccuping from laughing so much, and just stared at Piccolo's back as he disappeared into the bathroom and angrily shut the door after himself.**

**"Sigh…oh Nail. Don't worry. I'll make it my mission in life to get that Namek out of his first hormonal rut," she stated out loud, chuckling deviantly and maniacally as she stretched her hands out and cracked her knuckles, going inside the palace with a sinuous strut in her hips and smut written on her expression.**


	14. A Drop in Pressure

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**She had pondered over Nail's remark the rest of the day and into the next, managing to float with the possibility of seduction close at hand. After washing her face and stretching for the day, she became so engrossed in her thoughts and plans that she didn't hear Piccolo sneak back into the small palace and barricade himself in the only room of privacy available in the endless void. After snapping out of her daydreaming stupor and tactical planning, she hopped off her bed and went towards the dresser by the doorway.**

**Scrounging through her dresser drawers, Sofia bit her lip as she continued to come up short on the outfit she wanted to wear for the day.**

**"Grrr, maybe a halter top and low-ride jeans?" she pondered out loud as she pulled the top out. "Nah!" she tossed the top back into the drawer and sifted through to the bottom of the pile. Finally annoyed, she slammed the drawer shut and tapped her bare foot impatiently, glaring at the dresser.**

**She huffed and decided to improvise. Snapping her fingers, she materialized a pair of low-ride blue jeans with shreds at the knees and along her upper thighs, with a tight t-shirt that hugged her bust snugly. She finished the outfit off with a pair of black combat boots with the hem of the jeans tucked into the boot. She tisked, then snapped her fingers and added a defined heel to the boots and tucked her necklace into the shirt so it silhouetted above the scribbled writing along her bust line. Brushing her hair and putting some red lipstick on, Sofia flashed herself a wicked smile in her compact mirror before returning it to her backpack.**

**"Operation: SMUT will now commence!" She chuckled smugly as she tossed her hair back and strutted through the dimensional line of her doorway, feeling a twinge of air flicker across her skin.**

* * *

 

**_I don't want to train her today…maybe if I stay in here, she'll leave me alone…or maybe I can force myself back to asexuality…_ **

**'Or maybe you can give up and ravish her like you're eager to,' Nail chimed aloofly into his thoughts.**

**Sitting in the lotus position on the floor of the bathroom, Piccolo glared at the tiled wall across from him with a murderous sulk. He tried ignoring his counterpart's statement. Feeling a sense of bewilderment at the anxiety of being around Sofia was stress enough for him at the moment.**

**'It isn't such a horrible thing to be attracted to her physically, Piccolo. You two have bonded—in your own ways; attraction is only natural,' Nail interjected more affably, not wanting to spurn Piccolo into a callous mope towards him or Sofia.**

**'…I guess you know a lot about natural attraction, huh,' he grumbled telepathically, his scowl darkening as he glared holes into the tiled wall.**

**Nail grunted in confusion. 'What do you mean? The little I know about sexual matters and such I learned from Kami-sama—'**

**'I believe you said you took advantage when I didn't. Why would I want to horn in on you two, seeing as you were so attached to each other yesterday,' Piccolo interrupted, and ended up trailing off with surliness in his tone.**

**'…' Nail was incredulous of what he just heard. 'Piccolo, are you jealous?' he couldn't help let the interested amusement leak into his tone.**

**Blinking at the wall, Piccolo snapped his eyes into narrowed slits of agitation as he barked, 'Jealousy would mean I harbor envy, which I don't! You and Sofia spent two hours doing Kami knows what with each other—and frankly I don't want to hear anymore about it! Shut up! You're giving me a headache.'**

**A pause wrung, and Piccolo thought he had finally gotten the last word. '…All we did for the entirety of that time was talk about you,' Piccolo's shoulders stiffened and his jaw went slack. 'While most of it was in jest, it doesn't change the fact that you are the only Namek she's interested in. I am not saying that I am jealous of that, nor do I resent it. I am only pointing out that if you wanted to make the argument of her being attracted to anyone else also a Namek, she didn't exhibit that with me,' Nail rebuffed matter-of-factly.**

**Piccolo chewed on the inside of his cheek, crossing his arms and bowing his head. 'You two could've fooled me,' was his stoic reply. He stood and stretched his back, his surliness diminishing slightly as he contemplated to himself. Thinking back on all the times she kissed him, of their tense moments, and finally of the encounter they had not even a week prior, he compared them to the flirtatious show she put on with Nail the day before, and couldn't help still feel a twinge of displeasure.**

**Already frowning, Piccolo was back in his dark demeanor when Nail chimed, 'She and I are merely companionable friends. Our flirtations were merely in jest; we harbor no sensual feelings for each other that do not go beyond amiable affection.'**

**'Nail. I don't care. Stop talking about this. It's a topic I have no interest in,' he growled snidely as he composed his expression into his stoic mask. He knew he couldn't get out of dealing with her without losing face, and he already needed to repair his unalterable credibility, seeing as he hadn't left the sanctuary of the bathroom since he huffily shut himself in more than an hour ago.**

**Realizing he wasn't going to get through his thick-headed counterpart, Nail sighed. 'Fine. Keep telling yourself that, Piccolo. Maybe you'll actually start to believe it,' he remarked dispassionately and went silent.**

**Piccolo set his jaw, and quickly brushed Nail's comment away as he opened the sliding door and stepped into the main room, where his gaze fell directly on the curvaceous backside that moved sinuously about as Sofia stretched and warmed up with a combination of sensual contortions and calisthenics. Staring intensely, he stood rooted in his spot until Sofia bent down and grabbed her ankles before looking at him upside down.**

**Blinking at him, she slowly smiled coolly as she curved back up unhurriedly, tossing her long hair back and making sure her hips sauntered sensually as she turned to face him. The next feature he noticed were her luscious red lips.**

**"Long night?" she purred covertly, stretching her arms and letting her tight shirt ride up her lithe stomach.**

**Gulping, Piccolo diverted his searing gaze away from her. "We're continuing ki manipulation today," he stated apathetically and strode past her towards the few steps leading out onto the void floor.**

**Putting her hands on her hips, she slightly pouted. _Playing hardball, I see…_  she tisked to herself and tossed her hair back. Of course she knew her operation was going to encounter severe resistance from her target, but she really wished he would just whisk her up into his arms and ravish her passionately, saving her all the vixen tricks. Sighing, she followed his lead into the void. **

**Meanwhile, Piccolo clenched and unclenched his jaw, wondering what had gotten into her. _Is she trying to seduce me?_  He rumbled in his mind, his features tensing in a scowl. Shaking his head, he decided to stop himself from pondering the answer and halted in his stride.  _I think it's time to keep her on her toes_ …**

**Sofia stopped when he did, then immediately went on the defensive when she sensed his ki increase. Swatting the energy sphere away from her, she flipped out of the way and went into her stance, just as Piccolo took his casual cross-armed stance.**

**"Good reflex. Now we need to talk about you developing your own attack," Piccolo stated in an almost business-casual tone.**

**Sofia's features tensed, not sure whether to fall out of stance or not. "You mean like my own signature move?" she inquired as she cautiously fell out of her stance. When Piccolo gave a curt nod, she cut the distance between them and stood before him, her eyes wavering with exuberance.**

**Piccolo scowled down at what he called her 'googlely look', when his gaze was attracted to the writing of her shirt. Written in fine print along her bust line, the message was hard to read, so he focused his curious-but-intense gaze on her bust. ' _Objects under shirt are larger than they appear.'_ He read in his mind, quirking a brow in confusion.  _What is that supposed to mean…?_**

**Smirking broadly at his invasive stare, Sofia put her hands on her hips and stuck her chest out as she provocatively mused, "If you wanna take a closer look just ask, sensei."**

**Piccolo grunted and cocked his head to the side, then it slowly dawned on him. His cheeks took on a slight tint. "Why in the nine hells do you have to advertise about your breasts being bigger than they look?! Are you that starved for attention?" he snapped spitefully, only earning an impish grin from Sofia.**

**"I always quench my need for attention when you look at me with that alluring glare of yours, Piccolo," she purred in a sultry tone, stepping close and pressing her hands and forearms against his solid frame. Piccolo flinched slightly at the physical contact and froze when she brushed her delectable red lips against his boyish ones. When he opened his eyes to blink at her, Sofia threw her arms around his neck and clung to him. "Pounce on some green is what I need. Would you like to entice me? It won't take too much trying," she mused coolly.**

**Piccolo was awestruck by how her brazenness leapt and bounded when it came to flirting with him. His mind betrayed him, flashing to their heated session of the week before. Detaching her from his neck, it took Piccolo all his brooding willpower to scowl darkly at her. "Don't let your lust drop your guard, kid," he said contemptuously before shoving her back a few paces with a palm hit to the abdomen.**

**The hit momentarily knocked the wind out of her, but she managed to prevent herself from stumbling to the ground. _I guess flirting is out the window!_  She snarled, trying not to lose her temper and retaliate against him. **

**Piccolo caught the murderous glint in her eyes and figured that was better than having her fawn over him all damned day. "Just for that, I changed my mind. You're stuck coming up with your attack," he paused when she sneered. "As a matter of fact, I don't know why I even bothered with you today," he stated in a snidely intrepid tone, and decided to use the turbulence as a way out of training her for the day.**

**As Piccolo went to brush pass her, Sofia shoved him by the arm. "Don't pull your high and mighty shit on me just cuz you can't deal with your dick, Piccolo," she spat derisively at him.**

**The anger jumped in Piccolo's throat as he turned to fully tower over her. In a flash, he took her by the jaw, forcing her mouth shut, and squeezed. "Don't tempt me, kid!" he snapped in her face. Sofia narrowed her eyes at him and focused all her control. Instantaneously, Piccolo was shoved back by an invisible force.**

**"Don't tempt you how!? You probably wouldn't even know what to do with me if I was naked and flailing in your fucking pants!" she barked and bared her fangs at him as she crouched into a defensive stance.**

**Blinking at her with tightened jaw, Piccolo quickly narrowed his eyes and scowled disdainfully at her. "That's _it_!" **

**Losing the last shred of their tempers, Piccolo and Sofia went at each other in a flurry of kicks, punches, grapples, curses, and growls. Strictly hand-to-hand, their fight raged and boiled into a series of hard-hitting moves.**

**Piccolo caught her fist and went to flip her on her back, but only succeeded in getting a heeled boot slammed against the side of his face when she countered the flip. Seeing stars from the hit, Piccolo swung around and skidded slightly, jerking his punch aimed to clip her side to instead jab her dead center in her left breast.**

**Sofia yelped in sharp pain and fell back on her rear, hissing and holding her injured chest. Piccolo wavered slightly before steadying himself. Snapping the dizziness away, he stood over Sofia who mewled in pain, her eyes clenched tightly shut.**

**He scowled and felt a cringing sense of concern shoot up his spine. "Dammit…are you okay, kid?" when she only huffed a shrilled complaint, Piccolo frowned. "C'mon, kid. Just get up and walk it off—"**

**Sofia's face scrunched from pain into rage as she shot a glare at him, cutting him off as she roared and punched him straight in the groin. Hard. His eyes shrunk to pin points and his yelp of pain caught in his throat as he crumbled to the ground next to her, cupping himself and wheezing through his clenched teeth. Both writhing in pain for a few moments, they groaned and bared their fangs at each other in weakened sneers of contempt.**

**Finally able to compose herself enough to speak, Sofia bit back her pain and focused her blazing glare at him as he clenched his eyes shut and set his jaw in a particular wave of stomach-turning pain. "Try walking that off, you fucker!" she seethed in a hiss and rubbed her breast tenderly. Piccolo let something close to a whimper slip out of his clenched jaw, earning a stern look from Sofia. Sighing, she gave him a few moments to come back from the blow to the faucet and knobs before empathically adding, "A blow to the boobs hurts me just as much as a blow to your junk does to you."**

**Piccolo's growl sounded muddled and choked as his dark eyes fixed deathly on her before he squirmed to turn on his opposite side. Sofia pouted, shuffling over to press her side against his back to look over his shoulder.**

**" _Don't touch me._ " **

**She blinked at the murderous inflection his cool command held before pressing her still-throbbing chest against his back as she draped her upper body over his side. He was still cupping himself, huddled in the fetal position with his face turned to glare through the palace as she tried to silently coach him to look at her. Seeing how it was a moot task, she sighed and laid her head on his arm. He stiffened, and stayed that way as she mewled, "Piccolo?" He growled and shifted to nudge her away, but she clung to his side and sighed. "I'm sorry I punched your little Shenron and dragonballs so hard…I had no real provocation to retaliate so immaturely," she stated in a nonchalant sigh.**

**He grunted and dug his chin into his chest as she cuddled him suddenly. Sofia loved how pouty he got, and decided to tease him a bit. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"**

**With that, Piccolo glanced at her over his shoulder, and saw the flirty gleam in her eyes, and the crinkle of a smile in her features, a genuine smile. Here he was again; stuck between his all numbing sense of personal propriety and that smile that for some reason did more than a punch to the gut could.**

**Then, the answer came from his mouth faster than his brain could prevent it. "I'd prefer for you to just smile and shut up."**

**The blurted admittance was so candid and devoid of anger that it shocked both of them. Sofia stared blankly at him, and Piccolo diverted his gaze before sitting up and slightly wincing from the efforts. He slowly stood to his imposing height, submerging the aching of his bruised loins as he turned to look down at her over his shoulder.**

**"Your apology is under consideration, just as long as you _never_  punch me like that again," he stated in a measured tone, his threat present in the end.**

**Sofia smiled again, but of course the smart-ass and sultry comment couldn't be ignored. "Well, I promise that if by any consequence it does happen, I'll pet your dragon until it feels better," she mused in a cool and sincere tone.**

**Piccolo's eye twitched and he gritted his teeth as he turned back around and walked off, waving his hand dismissively. Her smile broadening, Sofia followed him into the palace and watched as he slowly and carefully lowered into the lotus position next to the four-post bed in the main room.**

**She could no longer deny it; she was more than infatuated with the Namek. It was more than primal sexual attraction too, or his brooding bad boy exterior. She felt lightheaded around him; as if her whole being rose out of her and basked in a sense of contentment she had never tasted before.**

**The past several months had bled together into such a comfortable routine to her that she couldn't bear to think of having to return to whatever she had left behind in her own realm. Hell, she was dreading the day they would both have to leave the chamber and return to their prospective lives.**

**Of course she still had her purpose nagging her in the recesses of her mind. They had both entered into the present arrangement because they both sought clarity in their personal paths. She wasn't stupid or naïve; the twin star business was making it ridiculously obvious that Piccolo and she were tied together. As much as she wanted to rationalize her hopes away from flights of fancies, she couldn't ignore the blatantly obvious and probable.**

**Kyouran was her past life, and she had so many enemies it was impossible to assume who her murderer was, at least not in the present point in time. It was like a historical drama playing out in her sleep; so many characters, stories, and motives to sort through and keep in mind. She had no one to help her sort it out either, seeing how Piccolo was totally oblivious of her true purposes and his indirect involvement. Kami was no real help either….**

**"Kid. Stop zoning out. It's disturbing," Piccolo's snide comment snapped her out of her thoughts. She raised her brows at him before huffing nonchalantly and wandering towards the kitchen.**

**"What can I say, Piccolo. You do wonders for my imagination," she remarked in a sultry sigh before disappearing into the kitchen.**

**Piccolo grunted and crossed his arms tightly, bowing his head and pretending to meditate.**

**'She's baiting you for a reason, Piccolo.'**

**Piccolo inwardly rolled his eyes and grunted. 'She's probably trying to butter me up so I'll agree to split form with you again,' Piccolo grumpily remarked, earning a dismissive laugh from his counterpart.**

**'Or maybe she wants you to reciprocate her flirtations for once. The girl is infatuated with you, and you with her, so why not cast out a flirty remark; it would be nice to see the shock on her face,' Nail quipped affably.**

**'I'm not here to spew mushy perversions, Nail. I really don't want to encourage her anymore than I have to withstand her. Now, shut up and leave me alone,' he snapped with a twinge of aggravation in his stoic tone.**

**An exaggerated sigh was his response before he snapped his eyes open to glance at the cool bottle of water that was caressed along his cheekbone and jaw. "Do you need ice for your crotch?" Sofia asked as she held the water bottle away from his face before he snatched it and scowled up at her.**

**"Listen," he started before he stood up to loom over her, completely avoiding her question, "I am not seduceable. I will never be seduceable. So, you can put your hormones to rest." That stated, Piccolo walked past her before ripping off the top of the water bottle and taking a long gulp to drain it. He headed into the kitchen to discard the empty bottle and could feel her lean against the doorway behind him.**

**"Alright," she remarked too pleasantly for his tastes, causing him to turn around and stare intensely at her.**

**"Alright what?" he inquired in a skeptical tone as he leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms.**

**"Since I can't hit on you anymore, I need intel on the other suitors I have the hots for," she replied simply.**

**Piccolo quirked a brow at her, keeping his expression unreadable as he grunted, "If I'm not willing to be your damned suitor, what makes you think I'm willing to be your matchmaker." He narrowed his gaze derisively at her.**

**"Well, I ask because you and Nail are sharing an apartment in your head, Green Bean," she remarked aloofly and shrugged her shoulders.**

**'Companionable friends, huh,' Piccolo grumbled telepathically to Nail.**

**Instead of the protest he expected, Nail simply chuckled, as if he knew something Piccolo didn't.**

**"…now who's zoning out," Piccolo caught the chide and snapped back to attention, focusing his icy glare at her.**

**"I really don't give a damn who you decide to hang all over, just as long as you keep me out of it," Piccolo barked haughtily at her, earning her to raise her brows and smirk slightly.**

**"Alright. Nail is off limits; I get it," she chuckled and crossed her arms, causing her tight shirt to ride up her stomach. "So you wouldn't mind if I flirted freely with, oh say, Vegeta?"**

**The flinch of something he had never experienced coursed up his arms. Her proposition was almost as if she had prodded him with electric current. His scowl pulled sharply into a frown as he muttered gruffly, "I find it highly unlikely the monkey will be able to hear you with his head so far up his own ass."**

**Sofia burst into peels of laughter, bracing herself against the doorway and holding her stomach as Piccolo frowned at her. She wiped a tear from her eye and bit her lip, trying to regain control.**

**"Are you done," he glowered gruffly.**

**She grinned at him. "Can you see me and Vegeta together? I mean, he's such a hot—"**

**"We're done here!" Piccolo growled as he pushed off the counter and went to bowl right past her, but Sofia stood her ground by grabbing hold of the doorway and barricading him in.**

**"Ok," she huffed and narrowed her gaze as she focused on his brooding features. "Honestly, Piccolo. Just one question, and I'll leave you alone," she offered complacently.**

**He narrowed his gaze and sneered. "Fine."**

**She nodded, leaned back against the doorway, and said, "Have you suffered from a case of blue balls lately?"**

**Piccolo's stern glare melted, leaving only a blank and blinking expression. _What the hell is that?_**

**'Nail, what the hell is that?' he quickly muttered.**

**'…I have no idea…' was his honest reply.**

**"…no?" was Piccolo's careful reply as he eyed her skeptically, wondering if she had actually made up such a medical term.**

**Her grin turned maniacal as she stood on her tip toes and slinked her arms around his neck. "Ah, well, if you wanna keep it like that you better ravish me before I rile you into the blue balls," she provocatively mumbled against his lips.**

**Piccolo was stunned, confused, and somehow enticed by the offer. _Wait!_  He held her at an arms distance by the armpits and bore his ireful glare into her. "Are you that psychologically perverse that you would willingly want me to ra-rape you!? What the hell is wrong with you, kid!?" he barked at her before shoving her back into the main room.**

**She stumbled slightly before righting herself and returning his flaming stare. "Hey! In this situation it is NOT rape! It's surprise sex!" she snapped mockingly right back at him, adding, "and did I say rape? No! I said ravish! My god, Green Bean! Here I am throwing myself at you in the hopes you'll grow a pair and admit to being attracted to me, and you're fumbling over semantics when you clearly fail at grammar!"**

**"Will you get it through your lust-numbed skull that I am not attracted to you!" he bellowed at her, his brows arching over the rim of his turban. "Get your damned hormones under control and _away_  from  _me_  or I'll put you through excruciating hell for as long as we're stuck together, do you understand me, kid!?" he barked in a sharp tone that raised his ki level.**

**Sofia stood in her unimpressed stance and quirked a defined brow at him. "The only hell you could possibly put me through is to start walking around stark-ass naked with your schlong hanging out for me to suffer massive blood loss and become anemic and crippled. Threats? Haven't we graduated from such mundane instigations, Green Bean?"**

**Piccolo clenched his fists, digging his white nails into his palms, his shoulderpads shaking under his boiling rage. "STOP CALLING ME THAT!" he roared at her, making her raise her brows in shock. "Stop-calling-me-that! I am _sick_  of your juvenile and moronic name-calling, kid!" he ground between clenched jaw as his expression twitched from his efforts in keeping an apathetic semblance. "I am  _not_  a Green Bean, or a stud muffin, or an Adonis, or what ever other ridiculous and wanton names you've come up with and will ever come up with! Don't  _ever_  address me as any again, kid—!"**

**Tapping her foot and focusing her glare with every word, Sofia finally cut in, "Oh! So since we're on this topic I would like to say that I DETEST when you refer to me as kid! I am not a kid, a brat, a squirt, a girl, a 'hey you!' or any of the sorted little pet names you've come up for _me_ , so let's make a deal. You stop calling me all that and I'll lay off with my affectionate terms for you, got it?" she tensely sneered at him.**

**Piccolo's lips pressed together and his jaw tightened from her tirade. Crossing his arms, he nodded stiffly in agreement. Sofia huffed, combing her fingers through her hair in impatience. They both stared tensely at each other before she sighed and put her hands on her hips.**

**"One more thing—"**

**" _I am done counting your lewd bullshit,_ " he cut in and brushed past her, causing her to whirl around and glare at him as he stalked towards the bathroom.**

**"Fine. Go sulk in the bathroom and glare at your crotch," she spat at his back, causing him to stop and turn around and menacingly stalk right back to loom over her.**

**" _Sofia_ …" he ground out before managing to compose the rest of his tone. "Go ahead and hit on whoever you want. If you want, I'll split from Nail right now and you two can go frolic and mate and leave me in peace! I'm sure you two have enough pent up affection for each other, so screwing like animals should work out swimmingly for you both!" he berated with a façade of nonchalance as he contumely stared down at her.**

**Sofia's expression went blank and her eyes remained wide and focused on him as he turned from her and walked towards the bathroom.**

**She dug her nails into her palms and stalked right up to him and grabbed his hand. Piccolo jerked to a stop and looked down at her with his perpetual scowl. His hand stiffened, but did not pull away.**

**"That's not what I want…"**

**Piccolo's scowl diminished, but did not disappear as he said, "What?"**

**Sofia defiantly looked into his onyx eyes and said tight-lipped, "That's _not_  what I  _want_."**

**Finally pulling his hand from hers, he leaned into her face and said cynically, "You could've fooled me." With that, he turned away from her dismissively.**

**Setting her jaw, she felt her pulse throb in her veins at how cold he was being. All she'd been able to think about for the last week was him; his lips, his grip on her that still lingered on her body, his hooded look of something unknown in his eyes, and how she ached silently for a kind word from him. The closest he'd come to saying as much was earlier when he told her to shut up and smile. And now, she stood and watched him in slow motion as he once again walked away. Walked away from what she had divulged to him, to what she would surely set herself aflame if anyone else heard her.**

**In a blind moment of rage, she found herself sinking her fingertips into a weighted shoulderpad as she pulled him down and shouted straight into his ear as high as her pitch could manage.**

**Piccolo convulsed and hit the ground, his arms clutching his head. Sofia began shouting at him, but all he could hear was the blown-out ringing in his head before his eyes rolled up and shut. He set his jaw and stopped squirming from the pain, which prompted her to stop mouthing off and just silently stare down at him.**

**_Shit…you really did it now…_ ** **she thought to herself after a few seconds of silence. Piccolo hadn't moved, or shown any signs of pain under her sharp and slowly-waning glare. _Jesus…did I fry his brain?_  The thought shot panic into her and she instantly kneeled by his side. Before touching him, she surveyed if he was still conscious, but his arms were covering his face. **

**"Oh god…Piccolo?" she gently touched his arm, but he didn't flinch or make a sound. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she grabbed his arm and tried to roll him on his back. "Piccolo! Oh god, please wake up," she pleaded out loud, her panic jolting her conscience as she pulled his arm away and took his face in her hands.**

**In a flash, Piccolo snapped his eyes open and grabbed her, rolling and slamming her down onto the cold tile as he pinned her down with his body. Sofia gasped a yelp and stared wide eyed at him as he bared his fangs silently and inched to be nose to nose with her. Sofia flinched unconsciously, which spurned Piccolo to grab her arms and pin them over her head and tousled hair. She was totally immobilized; her arms were in his vice-like grip, her legs were pinned by his shins and her upper body was crushed under the solid muscle of his.**

**She tried to wriggle her legs, and only succeeded in having Piccolo nudged them out of the way and propped painfully in a butterfly shape by his knees.**

**" _For Kami's sake!"_ he suddenly seethed through his clenched teeth. " _Rupturing my eardrum—for what!_ " he barked in her face, only earning a wincing look from her. Grabbing both her wrists in one hand, Piccolo wiped away the blood that ran down the side of his face with his free hand and shook his head, his lip curling in a grimace of discomfort. "I should kill you right now," he growled darkly at her, his dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits of intent as he added, "why the fuck did you do that?!"**

**Sofia sighed and closed her eyes, nonchalantly chiming, "I figured it would clean your ears out long enough for you to hear what I said again." The murderous glint in his eyes still remained, so she arched her back as much as she could so she'd be pressed fully against him. "I only want to flirt with you. Not with Nail, who's a stud, and not with Vegeta, who's practically taken anyway! Can't you get it through your thick head?" she quipped searingly, adding in a purr, "I want to be pinned like this _just_ - _by_ - _you_."**

**Piccolo stiffened. His eyes stared warily at her while his features went into their cool mask of apathy. She smiled again, just like before, and he set his jaw, sitting up slightly so she couldn't arch into him. "I don't want to mate with you," he unabashedly remarked, his expression as plain as his tone.**

**"Good. I don't want to mate either," she stated matter-of-factly, and Piccolo raised a skeptical brow ridge at her. "Mating is what animals do. Sure the grunting, groaning, grabbing, nuzzling, and the biting would be goo—" she was cut off by Piccolo's disdainful scoff.**

**"What do you want then?!" was his exasperated mutter as he intensely glared into her brown eyes.**

**Sofia blinked. "Isn't it obvious?" she inquired with a genuine inflection of incredulity.**

**Piccolo bit back the sour comment that sprang in his mind and let go of her arms. He went to sit back on his knees, but was pulled back down by Sofia's grip around his neck. He stopped himself from colliding face-to-face with her by pressing his hands down by the sides of her shoulders.**

**He parted his lips to protest, but was silenced swiftly with a kiss. The lingering kiss lasted many seconds and only felt like a brief brush of the lips when she pulled away, leaving him with his lips still parted and his eyes heavy-lidded. She smiled up at his subdued expression and muttered, "Right there. That's what I want."**

**Piccolo's gaze focused sharply on her and he pressed his lips tightly together. He brusquely sat up, inadvertently pulling her up with him, since her grip didn't wane from his neck. Growling, he dropped his arms to his sides as she half-straddled his lap and gave him a Cheshire grin.**

**He huffed through his nose before grounding out bitingly, "Detach yourself from me or I'll do it for you! I sure as hell wont mind my grip if I do it for you."**

**"Would it kill you not to glare daggers at me for once?" she asked in utter disregard of his threat, her fingers absently kneading the back of his cape collar as she stared with a flirty gaze at him.**

**His arms twitched in exasperation as his features quirked into a cynical sneer. "Wanting he who does not want you. Have you fooled yourself into pursuing me because you think I'd want you, or is it that you feed off of rejection," he acidly jabbed while keeping his glare as hot as possible.**

**Instead of the anger or tantrum he had expected, Sofia batted her eyes and smirked alluringly at him. "It's funny, how you force yourself to talk out of your ass when your body speaks volumes…not to mention _loud_  and _clear_ …" she trailed off scintillatingly into kissing him.**

**After tense seconds, Piccolo's arms snapped instinctively around her and reciprocated the kiss, his shoulders stiffening from his mind's chaotic objections. It was disorienting and irritating to him how her lips on his could make his brain fart so loud that it distorted everything of importance, especially his stubborn resolve against playing into the foolish attraction. His train of thought skipped back on track when he felt her tongue brush the back of his mouth as he unconsciously deepened the kiss. With that, his mind ran into a flash of her heatedly being crushed against his chest and curiously ravished by him from the week before. Then her smug comment snapped into his head, and he forcefully broke the kiss and pulled away, leaving her out of breath and him panting. He bit his tongue as he felt himself—rather, the rogue appendage that had become the bane of his existence, pressed lightly against her upper inner thigh.**

**Tensing, he quickly shoved her off of his lap and sat up, his face burning with humiliation. Sofia stood and rubbed her rear, glancing at Piccolo's back as he stood like a weary sentinel, his frame angrily shaking.**

**Not sure if he was having a meltdown or mentally-willing his boner down, she decided to sit on the bed and wait him out. _Sigh…I wish he'd just man-up and embrace his new addition. It wouldn't make me feel so guilty for constantly mind-fucking him…_**

**'Nail! How do I make it go back to normal!?' Piccolo desperately shouted telepathically.**

**'…From what I understand, the male's appendage engorges like that to copulate, so I would guess if you mate with her and reach climax it will become flaccid again?' Nail mused thoughtfully to Piccolo.**

**'I'M NOT GOING TO MATE WITH HER!' he shouted in exasperation.**

**'Then I don't know, think of something else!' Nail commented haughtily back, to which Piccolo groaned.**

**'What the hell do you mean think of something else?!'**

**'I mean, you got aroused because you were thinking of mating with her—'**

**'I was not!' Piccolo interjected with agitation.**

**'Piccolo! Shut up and listen!' Nail barked impatiently, then continued, 'Maybe if you think of something else and focus on that your arousal will dwindle.'**

**'…!'**

**Sofia sat with her knees held against her chest, allowing herself to cradle back and forth in nonchalant boredom. She was occupying her thoughts with the details of her sequential dreams, trying to recollect motives and figure out the mystery of her past life's twin star. So far, she was drawing a blank on the identity, but she figured it had to be one of the people already revealed in her dreams. _That Hiretsukan guy is so damned weird. If he knows her destiny then he should be her twin star…but he spoke as if he's just a matchmaker. What the hell—_**

**"HEY!" Sofia flinched on the bed and jerked her head to gape at Piccolo, who was over by the entrance of the palace.**

**_How the hell did he get all the way over there?!_ ** **She shouted to herself and stood and walked around the purple-draped bed.**

**Piccolo stood stiffly with his cape tossed over a shoulder to dangle conveniently in concealment of his crotch. "That ability of yours; we're going to train it," he tersely instructed before turning on his heel and exiting the palace.**

**Sofia blinked at his back as he stalked into the void. _Ability? What?_  "Oi! Wait up!" she snapped out of her confusion and ran out after him. When he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, they were a good distance from the palace. She finally caught up to him and gave him a confused look. "What were you talking about?" she inquired and crossed her arms over her chest and pendant. **

**"That telekinetic ability of yours. We'll put off developing your own attack after you're able to control your ability more. It'll help you develop your attacks better and it'll come more naturally in the end," he explained stoically, his glare only giving away his impatience.**

**Sofia's gaze sharpened in understanding and she gave a curt nod of acknowledgement, trying hard not to look down at his crotch. "So how're we going to do this?" she asked carefully, her gaze sharpening further as she prepared for any of his surprises.**

**"You can only focus enough to push it back in a big burst. And you can only keep it constant to lift insignificant things. You need to learn to deflect, guard, and maintain at a moment's whim. You also need to be able to keep your focus on many things at one time. So," he paused and gave her a hard look before phasing out.**

**Sofia felt his ki signature phasing in and out all around her, but he was moving so fast that she couldn't focus on where he would end up. She felt him behind her but before she could whirl around, she felt the ki blast he fired moving to sear through her back. She flipped out of the way and did a few cartwheels to the side before back flipping into her stance. Piccolo phased in front of her with a frown.**

**"Did I tell you to dodge?" he chided authoritatively at her.**

**Sofia gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't say much of anything," she cheekily remarked, adding, "The blood must be still rushing elsewhere."**

**Piccolo growled menacingly and shouted, "I'm not going to hold back! Get your damned wits together and focus on defending instead of doing gymnastics!"**

**Sofia scowled at the remark, but did as she was told. She tried to focus her mind and still be aware of her defense.**

**Without warning, Piccolo phased right in front of her and threw a punch, which she sloppily defended by pushing him away from her in mid execution. He managed to clip her arm and she hissed at the instant throbbing pain that shot threw the limb. Before she could look up, his roundhouse connected with her side, and she coughed her shout of pain as she fell on her side.**

**"Dammit Sofia! Are you this unfocused? Let's go!" he barked down at her as he went to kick her in the stomach, but was thwarted by the solid invisible blow that pushed him a few feet back.**

**Sofia coughed and tried to regain her breath as she stood. Piccolo began to phase in and around her, causing her to get a headache from trying to focus her energy for one swift blow. The kick to her back came out of nowhere and sent her rolling to the ground before she could maneuver and flip back to her feet.**

**She snapped her head to look above her when she sensed him charging up a massive Masenko-ha; she decided to stay on the ground than go airborne. _I wont be able to concentrate on both flying and defending with only telekinesis…dammit this is hard!_**

**Outstretching her hands, she focused everything she could and forced an invisible blow to double Piccolo over and cut off his attack. Piccolo cursed under his breath and phased out, leading Sofia to whirl around and glance in every possible direction.**

**"Dammit…!" She whirled around just in time to see the stream of golden energy barreling towards her. Instinctively, she put her hands up and roared**   **as she blew the attack back.**

**In an instant, a blinding pain throbbed at her temples and she clutched the sides of her head, leaving herself completely open for attack. Seeing the opening, Piccolo's battle instinct got the better of him and he fired his next attack, leaving Sofia only the split-second before it was too late to shield herself with her red aura solidified into a barrier at her outstretched arms. The blow of her telekinetic energy colliding full-force with Piccolo's blast propelled her violently back, sending her to skid and roll her on her sides before she willed herself to a stop.**

**She crouched to her side and felt blood drip onto the back of her hand. Her eyesight was hazy and her head was pounding as she stood and wiped the nosebleed with the back of her hand. Even with her peripheral vision graying out, she powered up and flew at Piccolo, who she dully noticed had two fizzling and glowing fingers raised to his right temple.**

**Piccolo watched her glide at full-speed towards him, measuring just the right moment to unleash his attack and the distance in which it would do her the least damage. Nail shouted for him to stop, but by then the ruthless sensei had outstretched his fingers towards her and fired off his signature move, sending the columned stream to spiral blazingly towards her.**

**The back of her mind throbbed in warning of the epic energy whirling towards her, but she drowsily knew it was too late to dodge; too late to block it with her arms; too late to blast out an aura sphere for protection. She roared, her wits starting to black out just as she conjured her telekinetic force to defend against the searing blast.**

**Piccolo shouted her name just before the sonic boom blew him back to roll and thud on the ghostly white chamber floor. The chamber clamored with the raucous echo of the energy collision. He groggily got to his knees and looked for Sofia to be standing in the aftermath, but only saw her silhouette lying unmoving on the ground about half a mile away.**

**"Shit!" Piccolo staggered to his feet and shot over with his blast of speed to fall next to her. "Sofia!"**

**She couldn't feel his fingers dig into her shoulders as he tried to lift her up and against his bent legs. Blood trickled onto her shirt from the aneurismal-like nosebleed, and Piccolo shouted her name again with no response. Her eyes were half closed, but her pupils were slightly trembling as she stared at the dark blur in her vision as her eyes began to glaze over.**

**_Move…c'mon…wake up and move…_ ** **she tried to will her body to wake from the seeping and heavy-but-empty ache, but even her lips were numbed shut.**

**She felt her body going numb; her limbs and extremities were falling asleep, as was her darkening vision and muddled mind as she fell slowly into unconsciousness.**

**_So tired…_ **


	15. Leash versus Ease

 

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_**

**_"The horizon began to glow with the coming of dawn, casting hues of orange and blush across the awakening sky. The encampment began to stir with the bustle of guardsmen as they prepared for the long trip back to Edo. Leaning against a wooden cart in a hidden corner, a young guardsman snored lightly and fought gravity by crossing his arms and resting his chin on his chest._ **

**_The tense chatter, quick dismantling of tents and gathering of supplies did not stir him from his nap, nor did the hushed argument that raged within the tent he was ordered to keep watch around. A fellow guardsman tossed his tools to the side and snickered at the slumbering young guard. Standing from his crouch, he snuck around the opposite side of the cart so he could be directly behind the napping man._ **

**_"Masaki…" he hummed soothingly in the guard's ear, stirring some of the dusty brown strands of hair to tickle the shell of the guard's ear. Masaki mumbled under his breath, but didn't come out of his snooze. Chuckling, Teshimine stood in a casual stance with a roguish glint in his dark eyes._ **

**_"Atten-tionuh!"_ **

**_Masaki jumped wide awake and rigidly into stance as he grunted in salute. When he heard the warm chuckle behind him, he felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment._ **

**_He whirled around to glare haughtily at his senior comrade. "Teshimine-senpai! That was not funny," he pouted with disdain as the other's grin only widened with mirth._ **

**_"Now, Masaki-kun. You're very lucky it was me that caught you sleeping on the job and not the taichou," he chided in a pleasant tone, earning a tense sigh from the younger man._ **

**_"You're right, senpai. Sank-yu," the shorter man smiled meekly up at him as he scratched the back of his head goofily._ **

**_Teshimine smirked and put the man in a tight shoulder hold as he leaned against him. "Sigh, but I do have to admit, this has been an exhausting trip," he mused with nonchalant bravado as he squeezed Masaki against his side._ **

**_Masaki blushed furiously, muttering, "Exhausting in many different senses, senpai."_ **

**_Chuckling, Teshimine noticed a group of guardsmen approaching, so he detached himself from Masaki and said in a whispered tone, "Don't be peeved with me, Masaki-kun. I can't help tease you."_ **

**_Repressing a blush and sputter, Masaki managed not to put Teshimine in a headlock before the older man winked at him and went to meet the other guards halfway. Pouting, Masaki turned on his heel and went back to his sentinel-like watch of Kitsune no Aka's quarters within the wide tent. In mid yawn, he heard the tent flap swat open and saw the menacing-looking escort of the Red Fox glare at him._ **

**_"Boy! Get us something to eat," Katsumoto barked the order and obnoxiously went back into the tent, pulling the flap shut._ **

**_An anger vein popped to life on Masaki's temple as he ground his teeth and stomped to do as he was told, muttering about the degradation of being a peon._ **

**_Meanwhile, Katsumoto whirled to continue his heated rant towards Kyouran, who was clad in his red and black touseigusoku minus the mask and helmet._ **

**_"Let me get this straight," he ground between tight lips, his quicksilver eyes narrowed in berating rage at the cool and apathetic semblance staring with boredom at him. "Whilst you were frolicking in a hot spring while I was stuck here like a patsy, you came face-to-face with the demon bastard complicating my plans and you didn't kill him!?" he hissed acidly at her to keep their conversation private from outside interest._ **

**_Staring unabashedly at him, Kyouran stood from the edge of the table she had been sitting on and walked towards the stand with the helmet and mask, dismissing his angry questioning by tying her hair up so to better conceal it with the kabuto she put on her head._ **

**_"I am talking to you, Oni Hakaisha!" Katsumoto ground out as he stomped haughtily towards her._ **

**_Coolly ignoring him, Kyouran raised the somen to her face and snapped it into place with the kabuto. She could feel the shorter man's temper skyrocketing to new heights at being ignored like an impetuous child. Turning to loom over him, she made sure her crimson gaze was glowing through the eyes of the mask as she bore her glare down on his slightly waning one._ **

**_"I suggest you stuff that gaping hole in your face shut before you find it seared shut," Kyouran rasped with the help of the voice distorter located within the somen. "The food is here," she added as she stalked past the fuming warlord and sent Masaki jumping back from the entrance of the tent with the wide bowl of fruit he cradled in his arms._ **

**_As Kyouran emerged from the tent, all eyes seemed to shift to her. She glanced at the young soldier with the food before stalking away to the opposite side of the camp, where most of the guardsmen were held to protect the emperor. Katsumoto barreled angrily from the tent and almost bumped into Masaki as he tried to enter the tent._ **

**_"Fool! Watch where you're going," Katsumoto growled in warning as he shoved Masaki to the side and snatched several pieces of fruit from the bowl he was holding before stalking off after Kyouran._ **

**_Masaki set his jaw and swore at the supercilious man's back. "Not a charming peon, is he," the rhetorical question snapped Masaki to glance at his handsome comrade._ **

**_"We peons resent being pushed around," Masaki frowned and adjusted the heavy bowl of assorted fruits he was holding._ **

**_Snickering, Teshimine snatched a small wreath of grapes and popped one in his mouth. "Now, Masaki-kun. You're no more of a peon than I am. Don't let your title dictate your station in life," he quipped affably, earning a huff from the younger man as he ate a few more grapes._ **

**_"Hai," was his terse response, earning a mocking glance from Teshimine._ **

**_Dropping the rest of the grapes back in the bowl, Teshimine draped a muscular arm around Masaki's shoulders and whispered in his ear, "Your lips look quite kissable when you pout like that, Masaki-kun."_ **

**_Stiffening, Masaki's blush flustered him so much that Teshimine couldn't help laugh with a bark of mirth. Seeing the amused glances some of the other soldiers were giving them, Masaki narrowed his eyes at his senpai and swiftly shoved a shiny red apple into his mouth, effectively silencing the older man as he inadvertently bit the apple and sputtered._ **

**_"I'm sorry, senpai. Did you say something?" Masaki mused with acidic sweetness in his tone while the other man continued to cough._ **

**_"Oi! You two! Get to taking down that tent and storing it on the cart. You're wasting daylight!"_ **

**_"Wakarimasu, taichou!" they both saluted in sync before glancing hotly at each other and splitting up to do the task._ **

**_Meanwhile, the bustle of activity within the camp did not seem to affect the tension that lingered within a certain tent. Emperor Higashimaya was pacing nervously in his ostentatious quarters as Katsumoto authoritatively instructed him and Kyouran of the plan of action. The green-eyed emperor glanced worriedly at the red and black-donning deathdealer as he asked, "Any word from Sumeragi-sama?"_ **

**_"No," was her distorted reply, earning a chortled huff from Katsumoto._ **

**_"That boy has his hands full fixing your messes," he muttered, plopping down in one of the emperor's cushioned seats and helping himself to the jug of sake resting on the short table to his right._ **

**_Higashimaya grimaced, hating every minute he was subjected to the ruffian's presence. "So, what is the plan?" he asked Kyouran in a tight voice, earning a grunt and scowl from Katsumoto._ **

**_"I told you the plan," he tersely grunted._ **

**_"You are far from in charge of this campaign, Katsumoto," the emperor snapped in a sickeningly sweet tone._ **

**_Sneering, the warlord chugged a few gulps of sake straight from the jug before reaching for the pieces of fruit he snagged from Masaki, replying condescendingly, "Funny how the puppet tells the puppeteer what's what."_ **

**_"Enough." Both bickering men stared at the tall figure in red and black. Katsumoto sneered as he bit obnoxiously into an apple, tearing a chunk out and chewing noisily for effect. Higashimaya managed to stifle his disgust as he lowered onto a large pillow and poured himself some tea._ **

**_"_ ** **… _Is Katsumoto's plan satisfactory to you?" the emperor asked after a heavy pause, the quiver in his voice evident._**

**_"The caravan will have to go. The carts and supplies will go the route we came, and we'll go through the hidden path within the forbidden forest, as he said. We should be in old lady Sumeragi's territory by daybreak tomorrow," she stated apathetically and crossed her arms._ **

**_Katsumoto grunted in agreement, tossing the apple core onto the table before standing up. "I'll make the arrangements." His exit was as sudden as his statement, leaving the jade-eyed emperor alone with the demonic sentinel in the tent._ **

**_Sipping his tea with a slightly trembling hand, the young emperor stared at Kyouran for a tense minute. "I have a sinking feeling this alliance will be the death of me…" the emperor sighed shakily as he finished the contents of his cup and clattered it down onto the table._ **

**_Kyouran grunted, the sound made harsher by the distorter. "Your fault for agreeing to it," she offered bluntly as she crossed her stiffly-armored arms._ **

**_The emperor's semblance blanched further, making him as pale as his formal robes. "Is there anyway to speak to Sumeragi-sama? I would feel more at ease if I knew what was occurring back at the Edo-jo," the nervous man petitioned as he stood and looked imploringly at the incognito deathdealer._ **

**_"The only way you could communicate with Saiga-sama is for your spirit to rise out of your body and go to him. I can't risk conjuring a spell here," she explained curtly, causing the man's shoulders to fall._ **

**_"Higashimaya-uesama! We're to prepare you for the trip," an attendant stated as they entered the tent, bowing and giving her a wary glance before the emperor nodded and allowed the attendant to come closer._ **

**_Kyouran grunted and turned to stride out of the tent and into the now glaring sun overhead. The footsteps and mutters of guards advancing towards the center of the encampment was all around her, so she figured Katsumoto was making a spectacle of himself. For someone so used to playing incognito, he could make a grand pest of himself. She figured that being out of the armor didn't give him any sense of presence or security._ **

**_Getting to where all the soldiers' attention was, Kyouran found Katsumoto instructing the two captains and their vice-captains of the plan of action, which seemed to be a topic of argument amongst the authoritative men._ **

**_"Must I repeat myself as if I was speaking to insipid children, gentlemen? You have your orders, so get to work," Katsumoto superciliously condescended to the high-ranking captains of the king's personal guard._ **

**_The squinty-eyed captain gritted his teeth and glared at the demonic doppelganger of the Red Fox before staring down the liquid silver of Katsumoto's stare. "I don't know who you think you are, loudmouth, and frankly I don't give a damn," the surly captain snapped, adding, "but if you think we take orders from you, you need to get your head out of your ass and see the sun." The man's vice-captain snickered in agreement, while his fellow captain crossed his thick arms and set his steel glare on Katsumoto._ **

**_"We take orders from the emperor, not from the likes of you and your defector master," the more regal captain remarked, blatantly staring at Kyouran in her disguise._ **

**_Katsumoto's jaws were grinding together at his impending loss of temper, so Kyouran decided to abridge the argument. "Be that as it may, taichou. However, you seem to forget the one with the military and tactical expertise is I, not you, and certainly not your band of fumbling men. Your emperor is not the only one in charge here. And seeing as he can barely jump out of the way to avoid an arrow, it is clear that the one with power in this moment is I," Kyouran paused in her icy berate to add in a commanding tone, "Now, if you intend to continue wasting my time, not only will I set you all straight, but your disregard for my command will get your emperor killed. Now split your commands into two parties. I want the most experienced and high-ranking officers you have. The rest shall return to Edo with the main caravan. A decoy is to ride in the emperor's coach with the caravan. Have I made myself brilliantly clear?"_ **

**_Her red glare flared to both captains and their subordinates, as well as to all the men that stood around. Katsumoto couldn't help but smirk, finding it refreshing that someone could actually portray him with calculating accuracy. The captains tensed and seemed conflicted, as if they were fighting with their prides as well as with their tempers of being openly berated in front of their men by a ronin._ **

**_After a tense pause, the more regal of the captains nodded stiffly as he replied, "Crystal." The other captain simply stomped away muttering curses to his vice-captain._ **

**_"Katsumoto," she addressed, snapping the shorter man's acid-laced eyes towards her. "See to it that my command is followed to the tee," she instructed as she turned around and headed for the makeshift stables where the black stallion was being fitted for her ride._ **

**_Katsumoto grunted in response and immediately went into ordering people around to his heart's content._ **

**_On the way to the stable she felt the slight tremor of a concealed aura signature, but when she turned to face the edge of wood that delve into the forbidden forest, the signature disappeared._ **

**_"The decoy caravan is compromised," she paused and looked back at the bustle she had just left, and muttered dejectedly, "it's survival of the fittest now…"_ **

* * *

 

**_"Alright men! Taichou has requested the high-ranking guards to be part of the core party. Those who I do not call are to immediately embark with the decoy caravan heading back to Edo," the stout and long-haired vice-captain instructed as he stood before the line of his squad, an undertaking being repeated with the other squad on the other side of camp._ **

**_"Kurosaki, Ishida, Abarai, Hisagi, Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, Kurotsuchi, Aizen, Shiba, Kotetsu, Ukitake, and Sasakibe. Report to the taichou at once; the rest of you report to Zaraki who will be leading the caravan back the way we came," he ordered and went to meet with the other vice-captain._ **

**_The men began to disperse and split up on their opposite voyages, except for two who hesitated in their spots. Masaki had hoped for Kotetsu Teshimine not to be called, but his hopes dropped at hearing the first syllable of the man's surname. He had glanced over at Teshimine in the line, but the other man stood serenely rigid, staring straight ahead. When the line broke, he stood in place, not knowing whether to do as he was told or to run toward Teshimine and hopelessly stare into his warm coal eyes. He probably would've remained rooted in his spot pondering his conflict if Teshimine hadn't planted his tall and muscular frame in front of him._ **

**_"Masaki-kun," the younger man stared conflictingly up at the unchangeable warm gaze of his senpai. "Give me a little more credit. I won't die that easily, you know," the man quipped as he put his hand on Masaki's shoulder and squeezed affectionately._ **

**_"I know that, senpai," he muttered tensely. "It doesn't change how I_ ** **— _" he cut himself off from finishing and diverted his gaze as his cheeks heated slightly._**

**_Smirking, Teshimine leaned in to his ear and whispered, "I know; don't be bashful now. If you want to hug me go right ahead. No one will say anything."_ **

**_Staring wide-eyed at his senior comrade, Masaki sputtered and shook his head fiercely. "That's not it, Teshimine!" he whispered sharply._ **

**_Teshimine blinked at him, before smiling with a glint in his eyes. "That was quite informal of you, Masaki-kun," he mused smugly. When the younger man stared at him, he just laughed softly and remarked flirtatiously, "You said my name so passionately. It pleased me very much, so I hope to hear it again and more often when I return to Edo, understood?"_ **

**_Blushing furiously, Masaki clenched his jaw as he suddenly grabbed Teshimine's forearm and dragged him between two of the carts that were part of the caravan._ **

**_Slightly stunned and confused by the younger man's actions, Teshimine waited until Masaki got him between the cover of the tall carts to ask him what was going on when the bashful man forcefully pulled him down and kissed him with a fierce resolve. Shocked, Teshimine simply wrapped his arms around the man's waist and kissed him back. As sudden as it began so did the kiss break, leaving both men staring with hooded gazes at each other. Then, Masaki wrapped his toned arms around Teshimine's neck and clung briefly as he mumbled against his neck, "I gave that to you for safe keeping, but I want you to give it back to me when you return to Edo, understood?"_ **

**_His eyes smiling, Teshimine squeezed Masaki and nuzzled the side of his head. "Hai…"_ **

**_With that, both men stood before each other and bowed in respect before taking each other's forearm in their hand and squeezing in farewell. Teshimine smiled and stepped out of their hiding place first, walking confidently away while Masaki stared intently at him as he left. When Teshimine was blocked from his sight by the group of guards he himself was to join, Masaki's hands tightened into fists. He sighed gruffly before bowing his head from the glare of the sun over his head._ **

**_"Sayonara…"_ **

* * *

 

**_The dark cavern descended a mile under the earth, connecting to a detailed network of cavernous routes that lead all throughout the province and beyond, reaching toward the hidden castle Iyashii Hiretsukan tended to avoid as much as possible. He stood staring off the ledge of a drop in a particular cavern, the descent turning into a pool of black shadow as the few torches that illuminated the underground highway failed to penetrate it with the glow of their flames._ **

**_A figure appeared from the shadows just behind him, and knelt in respect. "They have split up into two parties, master. The caravan with all three heads through the path within the forebidden forest. They shall reach the priestess village most likely before daybreak," the blue-skinned follower reported, his long black braid of hair hanging towards the ground as it swept over a shoulder._ **

**_Hiretsukan's faraway gaze turned to contemplate his kneeling follower. "Excellent. Round up our party crashers and be sure to make it clear: I want her untouched. The other two they can do as they please with," he commanded in a tone made harsh by the echo in the cavern._ **

**_"As you wish, master," Arasoi stood from his kneeling and bowed before turning on his heel and going back into the shadow._ **

**_"Arasoi."_ **

**_"Yes, master?" the cobalt blue eyes blazed to attention back toward their master._ **

**_"I don't want you to get involved this time. No matter what. Just be my eyes and report back when it's all over," Iyashii Hiretsukan instructed with a smooth severity in his tone, his fire eyes capturing Arasoi powerfully._ **

**_"As you order I shall do, master." Arasoi continued into the shadow, into which he vanished._ **

**_Hiretsukan turned back to contemplate the abyss he stood only an inch away from. He kicked a pebble over the edge and strained to hear it clatter to the bottom. He smiled to himself, still contemplating the fall of the abyss._ **

**_"As the pebble reached its destiny by my will, so shall yours, my precious Fury…"_ **

* * *

 

**_The late afternoon heat pierced over them, the thick woods and trees overhead acting as a canopy to blot out the sun as well as kill any hopes for a cooling breeze. The path was rough and shadowed in unnatural gray, a malevolent feeling seeming to weigh down on every creature and being unfortunate to be within the notorious wood. The small party advanced with a morose hush over them as the clatter of horses and the single carriage advanced against the beaten and rock-riddled path._ **

**_Higashimaya tugged on his stuffy white robe and fanned himself with a wooden and paper fan in a listless and tense fashion. His jade eyes stared with paltry regard of his surroundings, especially that of the weapons carriage he sat in. The splintered wood paneling made him wary to even lean against the side as he so wished. Three guards flanked each side of the cart and marched in step with the carriage. Katsumoto rode just behind him on a brown and white-spotted mare as the incognito deathdealer rode ahead of the party on the black stallion._ **

**_It had been several hours that the trek spanned into the sauna-like forest, and the emperor was stiffly bored out of his wits. His loyal attendants were forced onto the opposite caravan, Katsumoto having insisted that the less wastes of space the better._ **

**_The weary emperor began to trace the pendant that protected him from spiritual and physical harm, fingering the silk string of the necklace as he cleared his throat from thirst._ **

**_"Uesama," jolted from his daze, Higashimaya glanced at the tall and handsome guardsman who pleasantly smiled and offered him a thick water pouch. "You seem parched. Would you like some water, uesama?"_ **

**_Higashimaya smiled at the soldier. "Yes, I would love some," he took the pouch from the man and drank straight from the nozzle at the top. Once quenched, he sighed in relief and capped the pouch. "What is your name?" he asked the man, which startled him to be directly spoken to by the emperor._ **

**_"T-Teshimine_ ** **— _I mean Kotetsu Teshimine, Higashimaya-uesama," he bowed his head in respect and kept walking with the cart._**

**_The sight amused the emperor. "Please, no need to bow. This whole mess has made formality moot," he remarked magnanimously, earning Teshimine to stare back up at the symbol of Japan and almost trip in his pace._ **

**_"H-Hai, uesama," the guardsman replied curtly and accepted reverently the pouch of water._ **

**_"Tell me, Teshimine. It won't get you in trouble if you just spoke with me for a bit? I'm immensely bored, and I miss the company of my attendants," the jade-eyed and dark-haired emperor stated as he fanned himself absently._ **

**_Quite nervous, Teshimine wasn't sure what protocol to take. A lowly guard like him would never dream of being spoken to directly by the emperor, let alone being asked for his name by the most powerful figurehead of Japan. "Well, I would think that if you asked me to do so I should not get in trouble, since you are the emperor of us all," he stated with careful confidence._ **

**_Higashimaya smiled again and waved away his caution with his fan. "As I said, formalities are put to rest for now. I mean I simply wi_ ** **— _" he was cut off as Katsumoto suddenly trotted over to the other side of his carriage and fell to step with it. Giving the plain-clothed Red Fox a snippy glance, the emperor leaned over towards Katsumoto and snapped tight-lipped, "Yes?"_**

**_Having to force a groveling semblance, Katsumoto mumbled in condescending meekness, "May I have your ear for a minute, emperor?" Blinking at the usually surly man, Higashimaya leant closer and allowed Katsumoto to whisper sharply, "Now you listen to me: I am sick of your yammering on! Keep quiet like a good puppet or I'll hogtie you and tie you to the back of my horse."_ **

**_With that said, he trotted away on his mare and cut to the front of the party, leaving a flustered and sputtering Higashimaya who looked as if a vein was about to pop in his temple._ **

**_Katsumoto chuckled to himself as he heard Teshimine ask the emperor if his asthmatic condition was affecting him and if he needed some more water. He fell into step with Kyouran, whose grunt rumbled through the distorter._ **

**_"Camping for the night is out of the question now. We travel straight through; no stops, understood?" she instructed Katsumoto, who raised a thick and dark eyebrow in condescending inquisition._ **

**_"What aren't you telling me," he whispered gruffly, staring straight ahead as to not catch attention from the guards._ **

**_She glanced at him through the mask, her eyes flaring in warning. He gritted his jaw and fell back in trot to instruct the captains of the change of plans._ **

**_Kyouran was not in the mood to be questioned. Spending so much time constricted in the obnoxious ronin's armor was making her short tempered. She felt her pendant fixed into place against her chest and the chest armor, the necklace laced tightly around her neck like a noose of onyx. She glanced back at the small party following her blindly._ **

**_Katsumoto caught her gaze and his expression became unreadable. The emperor was yammering on while a soldier listened pleasantly, the others stiff in boredom and routine. Then, she sensed it and halted immediately._ **

**_Whirling to face the others, she shouted, "Get into formation! We're under attack!"_ **

**_Everyone flinched and jerked into action. Katsumoto rode up and halted so hard that his mare almost threw him off. Kyouran was motionless on her ride, staring intently into the misty shadow that silhouetted a figure just ahead of the party._ **

**_The figure walked closer until he cut the distance between them in half. Once closer, the figure scrutinized her with eyes of green camphor._ **

**_"Kyouran. I have been instructed by the priestess to lead the rest of the way now," Kakyo stated, his expression tight, as if he tried not to smile._ **

**_Katsumoto came up beside Kyouran. "That's the man who brought Saiga-sama to Edo. What's he doing here?!" he asked in a tense and hushed tone, receiving a swift gesture for his silence by the disguised demon priestess warrior._ **

**_"Now Kyouran-chan, you don't intend to disobey the old woman's order, do you?" the supposed loyal follower of the high priestess remarked with mock severity, the muscle around his eyes twitching along with the tendons of his jaw._ **

**_"Pitiful, demon! You need more practice," she rasped in a hiss, earning a demented chuckle from the creature posing as Kakyo the True._ **

**_The creature slowly and grotesquely shape-shifted from the human it was masquerading into the blue scaled-amphibian-like form it was natural to, thick lips pulled over jagged teeth and maroon eyes narrowed under jutting brow. "You make it so hard! This could've been fun!" the demon growled in an echo-like voice as it phased towards her and leapt into the air to strike her._ **

**_Before the demon reach the zenith of his jump, Kyouran had hopped into a crouch of the stallion's back and leapt to roundhouse the demon into the trunk of an ancient dark tree, embedding him with a sickening crunch and roar of pain. Then all hell broke loose as the tree roots began to jut up from the earth to attack the soldiers and guards._ **

**_Guards were being struck, slammed, and crushed in all directions, the screams and yells of pain and desperation filling the air as Kyouran turned the stallion around to run back and fight, but Katsumoto stood in her path with his own ride, glaring at her calculatingly with his quicksilver eyes. "We go in there and we're dead! Go find the fucking demon shit doing this!" he growled at her._ **

**_"Fucking coward," she hissed acidly at him and pulled her horse around to race straight down the path in search of the demon most likely hidden in the trees who controlled the phenomenon._ **

**_Grunting, Katsumoto faced the chaos before him as he reached into his robe pocket. "Coward? I'd prefer to say 'smart as a fucking fox', heh," with that smug comment to himself, he pressed the horn to his lips and blew his alarm, the heavy pitch carrying over and through the thick canopy of leaves and branches._ **

**_Unsheathing his sword, he raced into the chaos, hopping to stand on his mare's back and shouting a battle cry as he sliced through many flailing tree limbs in his way and sinking the blade into the torso of a mole-like demon that sprouted right out of the ground by where he landed._ **

**_He joined the fray and sliced, defended, and drove some of the creatures to their death with a swift slice of his blade._ **

" ** _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…GET DOWN!" he counted off to himself as he slayed several more of the demons and shouted his order, ducking and covering just as grenade-like explosions blew the trees on either side of the path right out of the ground to crash back into the forest, those who heard him doing as he shouted while others were thrown by the blast or were caught in it._**

**_The sudden battle roar of his special ops men joining the battle fray from all directions scared not only the demons, but the guards that were blind with fear and adrenalin. Grinning almost maniacally, the Red Fox barreled against some moronic demons who were now hopping from the trees into the fray to catch the emperor who sat like an ostentatious pearl quivering in the cart in the middle of the chaos. His guardsmen were fighting the demons with everything they had, managing to keep them away from the emperor and solidifying their perimeter of protection. Katsumoto felt the rush of grandeur pumping in every vein and roaring through him, his grin sobering to a composed smirk as he honed in on the pawn to his plans._ **

**_"Now, to collect what's left of that squealing sow…"_ **

* * *

 

**_The stallion's hooves beat against the ground as she raced through the mist and dark wood. Her fangs were sinking absently into the distorter within her mask. She could smell the blood being split behind her and the stench of death was getting more potent as she drew closer to the source of the chaos._ **

**_Without warning, the ground at her stallion's feet caved in, frightening the horse and forcing it to fall on its side. The animal managed to quickly recover and run back to the battle site, leaving Kyouran standing in the middle of trembling and shifting ground._ **

**_"Nisou Kyouran…" the snarling tone seemed natural to the demon with dark slitted eyes and mud-red skin riddled with sharp quills as it stood with it's arms extended to its sides._ **

**_"So many upper level demons working together. I figured your kind too stupid to organize," she rumbled with the help of her distorter, earning the demon to grit its teeth and to go on the attack, summoning the roots and branches of the trees all around them with the flick of its wrists. Going into a flurry of phases, dodges, jumps and flips to avoid the murderous trees, she managed to narrowly avoid getting torn and battered from all sides. Grabbing a tree limb, she swung high into the air and landed gracefully behind the now panicked demon._ **

**_As the creature whirled around to face her, she grabbed it by its throat and squeezed, effectively crushing its concentration. The trees instantly fell into dormancy around them, as well as at the battle site a mile down the nebulous path._ **

**_"Where's Hiretsukan," she seethed through the distorter, her talon-like nails tearing through the tips of her black gloves to sink into its neck._ **

**_"I'm dead if I tell you_ ** **— _gaah!" it choked._**

**_"You'll be dead if you don't. And I'll take my time. I'll pull you apart and save your heart for last_ ** **— _" she cut herself off as a surge of ki revealed itself all around her. She slammed the demon against a tree and leapt into the air to avoid the spew of acid aimed to sear into her back and arms._**

**_The demon screamed as the acid ate into his flesh to simmer into him, eating him into death before he even hit the ground._ **

**_As she landed across from the three similar demons, they unhinged their jaws and flicked their reptilian tongues out before clenching their throats and repeating their attack. She leapt up into a tree, narrowly avoiding a glob of acid as it ate through a branch she ascended past. Standing on the branch she landed onto, she sensed something major happening back down the path, and knew she could not waste time._ **

**_She extended her palm out towards the demons when the sudden presence of another standing with her on the branch snapped her attention. Assaulted by the cobalt blue eyes of the young demon male, she reacted too late as his hands and forearms glowed light blue and crackled as a kusari-gama formed in his grip and whirled towards her. Swinging her body away, the weapon managed to clip the side of the somen and tore the helmet off her head, the momentum of the blow so powerful that her heels spun and she had to grab the chain of the weapon to not fall to the creatures below._ **

**_The edges of her mask cracked and snapped off, revealing half her face and her crimson eye as it blazed into the stoic-faced demon. She yanked hard on the chain in attempt to pull him within striking distance, but felt the ki-based weapon crackle out of her hand and fizzle as she fell backwards to the path below. She stared up as the rest of the mask cracked and broke apart, staring at the lightly blue-skinned and sad eyed male as he phased out of sight._ **

* * *

 

**_Arasoi leapt across from the wide and narrow branches back towards the major battle site, his face still burning from his master's orders. He was nervous; stunned that he was to be a direct player in his master's grand plan after he had instructed him to never get involved. What was happening? How could the path of destiny jerk so violently into another direction…?_ **

**_No matter how he felt, Arasoi would not fail his master's will, nor would he feel any regard for those at the end of his kusari-gama. But…if destiny was so set, why did it waver so aggressively?_ **

**_He could smell gunpowder and blood. He jerked his head into the direction of gunfire and fighting. The knight has arrived onto the field…_ **

* * *

 

**_Teshimine wiped away the blood dripping into his eyes, baring his teeth as he threw a series of kunai into a few advancing demons. He thanked the gods that the terrifying phenomenon had ceased, but the brigade of demons wasn't wavering as his comrades were. His back pressed against the emperor's cart, he shouted over his shoulder to the horrified man lying immobile within the cart._ **

**_"UESAMA!" Higashimaya shot wide and blank eyes towards the tall soldier. "Please be ready to escape! As soon as there's an opening, I will take you out of here!" he instructed in a harsh and angry tone as he threw a broken spear to pierce the chest of one of the mole-like creatures._ **

**_Another violent explosion went off just behind the cart, sending fumes and soil to dust up everywhere. Men and creatures screamed in battle and death, and all the emperor could do was sit blindly in horrified panic. Then he felt something dig it's talons into his arms and yank him back._ **

**_He released a scream that snapped Teshimine around to witness the silhouette of the emperor and a creature ascending into the tree just above the cart through the thick cloud._ **

**_"UESAMA!" he shouted as he leapt into the cart and jumped up to grab the emperor's ankles in an attempt to snag him back down, but was pulled up as well._ **

**_The demon pulled Higashimaya up and onto the tree by his collar, and was surprised by the swift kick to its gut as Teshimine swung up on the branch and spun his foot out. Recovering quickly, it growled and flicked its wrist out to shoot a black spike from the puckering oval at the base of its hand._ **

**_The skilled soldier leapt and grabbed the branch just above them and swung his body out of the way, recklessly avoiding getting skewered but still earning a wound to his side as it sliced by him. Roaring, Teshimine swung his legs out and grabbed the creature by its scaled neck and with all his might snapped its neck before falling hard onto the trunk of the branch. Crumbling back in death, the demon's body landed against Higashimaya, who screamed bloody murder and shoved it off of him and out of the tree. Frantically scurrying towards Teshimine, the emperor helped pull him up and against the shadow cast by the tree._ **

**_"Are you alright, uesama..?" Teshimine groggily asked as he winced and grabbed his own side._ **

**_The emperor gasped. "You're bleeding!"_ **

**_Teshimine shook off his grogginess and looked over the wide branch to the fray below. "Nothing worth dying for, uesama…" he muttered soothingly as he surveyed what was left of his comrades and the mysterious brigade of men slaughtering what was left of the demon scourge. "Now, let's get out of this tree and you to safety," he remarked serenely and grabbed the emperor to help him down the side of the tree._ **

**_Both landed on the lumpy ground and were immediately helped up by some of the emperor's other guards._ **

**_Katsumoto wrinkled his nose in disdain as he watched the display, pulling his blade free from the smoldering demon carcass._ **

**_"Arigato gozaimasu, Teshimine," the emperor muttered as they were both helped to the cart._ **

**_"It was what I was born to do, Higashimaya-uesama; no need for your generous thank you," he said and half bowed, wincing from the wound to his side._ **

**_"So well put, soldier." They snapped their attention to the surly man with the glaring silver eyes. Katsumoto swaggered over and sheathed his sword. "Dying for glory and country. A noble way to go, for all of you," he smugly quipped with a crude and malevolent glint in his tone. With a gesture of his hand, his men swiftly surrounded the emperor's party and disarmed them._ **

**_"Wha_ ** **— _WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" the emperor hollered in incredulous horror as Teshimine was stripped of his weapon's pouches and dagger. "Have you gone mad_ — _" he cut himself off as he watched Katsumoto's gaze narrow in victory; that, and the glint of the blade one of his soldiers handed to their leader._**

**_Katsumoto held up the sword and studied it smugly, staring at the mirror shine that reflected his quicksilver eyes. "I had this sword made years ago. I've been saving it for this great occasion," he stated with a victorious air as he glanced at his soldiers who chuckled and agreed._ **

**_Teshimine gritted his teeth and glanced around for an opening, but all the other men were incapacitated. The emperor was frozen in stark horror. Katsumoto advanced while his men made way for him. He knew what this meant; this man, was the Red Fox. He had planned this and just waited for the best opportunity, and all he needed now was the emperor's head for his victory pike._ **

**_Just as the dastardly man stood before the trembling emperor, Teshimine knew what he had to do. Thrusting his head back, he head butted the soldier holding his arms and got loose, advancing in between Katsumoto and the emperor. He shoved the emperor back and spin kicked the blade out of Katsumoto's hand before kicking him to skid back. Then, he turned and grabbed the emperor and ran, his comrades fighting the ronin's soldiers to allow their escape._ **

**_With the emperor on his shoulder, Teshimine could run in a stagger as the weight put a strain on his wounded side. Then his feet went out from under him and he crashed to the ground, the emperor landing ahead of him. His feet were snagged by Katsumoto's line, and he struggled frantically to get free and to get the emperor out alive._ **

**_"Leaving so soon? But this is a celebration!" Katsumoto shouted and threw his arms up boastingly._ **

**_Teshimine turned and roared, "GET OUT OF HERE, UESAMA! RUN! JUST RUN!"_ **

**_Higashimaya sprang to his feet and hesitated in extreme panic and trepidation._ **

**_"RUN! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU PLEASE RUN!" Teshimine screamed, trying to stagger to his feet but only falling hard onto his injured side._ **

**_"Go ahead! Run! It'll make it much more fun," Katsumoto chuckled, signaling his men to let the emperor escape. Turning in a mad dash, the emperor ran frantically away, the sound of his men's shouts and the cackle of the ronin's soldiers resounding behind him as he ran blindly into a patch of the forest._ **

**_Teshimine fisted his fingers into the ground and swore before he was hauled painfully up by his arms. He was swiftly tossed before Katsumoto's feet while the rest of his comrades were forced to their knees and their hands were tied behind their backs._ **

**_"Now," Katsumoto said with grave authority. "I could slaughter the lot of you, but I would much prefer for you to watch as I collect that pig's head. Dying in honor or living in dishonor; what would be worst?" he rhetorically quipped, his men the only ones laughing._ **

**_Teshimine pressed his bloody and sweaty forehead into the dirt, swearing under his breath and clenching his eyes shut. Dishonor meant nothing when the emperor's blood was on his hands…_ **

* * *

 

**_She landed in a crouch in between the 3 reptilian creatures as they spurted acid from their mouths. She spun and narrowly avoided the acidic streams and chopped one of the creatures in the throat, making it swallow its own acid. As that creature convulsed and gasped its dying hisses, the other two went into a flurry of attacks that she was successfully avoiding, until one of them swung back and caught her by surprise with a slash of their poison-tipped claws to the center of her chest plate. The poison began to slowly corrode through the thick plate, causing her to have to back track and block the attacks with her legs and an arm as she ripped the plate off and tossed it to slice one of the demon's head clear off._ **

**_As the carcass spurted acid everywhere, she rolled out of the way and behind a rock for cover. Her necklace bobbed against her robed chest as she leapt back from the rock exploding from the demon's tail strike._ **

**_She narrowed her eyes at the hissing demon as it swatted towards her with its scaled and prickled tail. She leapt and hopped out of the way of each strike and phased at the demon with her katana outstretched to slice into its chest when the blade screeched and snapped from the tough contact of the scales. The demon grabbed her arm and swung her away from him to land crushingly against the trunk of a tree._ **

**_The wind knocked out of her, she barely registered the arrival of the shape-shifting demon from before, who scowled severely at her from behind the cover of the reptilian creature._ **

**_"Hiretsukan wishes for you to take off your leash, Nisou Kyouran-chan," it said in its echo-like tone as both demons advanced._ **

**_Just then, the emperor stumbled out onto the path and tripped over his robes. As both demons jerked their attention to him, Kyouran went into action._ **

**_Phasing into the air, she roundhoused the reptile demon so hard that it snapped its neck before it crashed back into several trees. The shape shifter roared and went for the emperor, who screamed and staggered away before the demon snatched him up and jerked to face Kyouran._ **

**_"STOP! I'LL RIP HIS THROAT OUT!" it roared in its rumbling echo, but Kyouran only kept advancing without regard. Terror flashed in the demon's eyes as he swiftly turned and took to the trees, hopping and jumping away, with Kyouran close on his tail. The emperor screamed non-stop and beat on the creature's back to be let down, but was only jerked and pulled around by it's movement and speed._ **

**_After several minutes, the demon came to a desolate patch where some sunlight poured through the trees overhead. He dumped the emperor onto the ground, where the man scurried away to a rock and picked up a branch to defend himself._ **

**_The demon sneered and turned to face the opposite trees ahead of him._ **

**_"I'm done, Arasoi! I didn't sign up for this, damn you!" he shouted in perturbation as the young demon male phased into view on one of the branches of a contorted tree._ **

**_He leapt to stand in front of the emperor, who coward and trembled as he stared up at the cobalt blue eyes of the stoic demon._ **

**_The demon was about to escape when Kyouran landed in front of him. He ducked just in time to avoid losing his head and rolled out of her range before leaping back to stand next to Arasoi. The demon with the long black braid of hair turned slowly to contemplate the demon destroyer, tugging the emperor up by his robes._ **

**_"Release him."_ **

**_Arasoi bowed his head and closed his eyes as the kasuri-gama materialized in his hand, the chain wrapping around his arm. "Unfortunately, I cannot…" and with that, he swiftly and stoically decapitated Higashimaya._ **

**_The sickening spurt of blood caught the sad-gazed demon in the face, staining him and his hands with the emperor's blood as the body twitched and jerked to the ground before stiffening into death._ **

**_The demon next to him was the only person stunned, back-stepping away from the calculatingly lethal creature with the boyish countenance._ **

**_Arasoi held up the emperor's head, staring into the glossed-over jade eyes as they stared blankly into the perfect moment of death. Then, he tossed it nonchalantly to Kyouran's feet. She clenched her jaw and narrowed her burning red eyes at the cold and strong figure._ **

**_In an instant, Arasoi charged at her with his ki-based weapon, clashing harshly with her own ki-based sword. Their weapons and energies crackled against one another, pushing soil and air to whirl around them. They swiftly went into a flurry of clashes coupled with hand-to-hand combat, until the youthful demon did something no one had ever dared to do before._ **

**_Wrapping his chain around her neck, he used his momentum to pull her close enough so he could slash the chain of her necklace off. In an instant, her ki spiked and blew him away as her blood stoned pendant clattered to the ground._ **

**_She gripped her sword so tightly that it shattered into thousands of ki pieces that rushed toward the demonic teen. He put his arms up to guard as much as he could from the attack, but the ki sliced and slashed through his skin, leaving him bloody and huffing for breath as he crouched and picked up the discarded head of the emperor._ **

**_"My-master…waits to see you be yourself, Fury-sama…" Arasoi remarked in an apathetic mumble before leaping into the closest tree and vanishing into the shadows._ **

**_Left in the aftermath, the shape-shifting demon realized what was going on too late as Kyouran sunk her burning glare into him, her aura scintillating red and hot even where he was standing. Startled in his isolation with the notorious demon slayer, he knew he didn't stand a chance, so he summoned from the earth five mole-like demons who with his battle roar went at Kyouran. She stood calmly, with her body trembling from her freedom. The creatures surrounded her and went for their simultaneous attacks._ **

**_She lost all regard for propriety and screamed a maniacal battle cry as she began to tear through the creatures. She spun around in a macabre ballet of maiming and cackling as she laid quick waste of the creatures until there was nothing left but the gore and pulp. The shape-shifter watched in stark horror as she licked a smear of blood that had splattered at the corner of her mouth before looking malevolently at him with a ghastly grin and murderous eyes._ **

**_Suddenly, she was looming right in front of him, and before he could even react, he was thrown to bowl down two trees. He screamed and coughed up a wad of bile and blood before he frantically staggered up and ran for his life._ **

**_Dodging through trees and logs, he looked over his shoulder and panted in panic and fear while she followed him— phasing in and out around him, chuckling at him from the fog and shadows. He stumbled over a brook and almost fell, but quickly clawed his way up the bank and kept running for what seemed like hours before he tripped and rolled over a small ledge overlooking a concave depression in solid rock. He hit the rock hard and screamed as she jumped from the ledge and crouched predatorily across from him, her hair wild and veiling everything but her burning crimson eyes as they pierced through him._ **

**_He staggered back and to his feet, but was quickly slammed into the rock wall his back had been facing._ **

**_"Why run? Isn't this part of the plan?" she snarled contumely, her fangs bared as she ground his back into the rock and snapped bones. He unleashed a blood-curdling scream as he was being slowly crushed by her hands pressing into his shoulders and the rock at his back._ **

**_He began to beg her to stop, but his pleas ended in a coughing shout of agony as she plunged her dagger-like nails into his shoulder joint and twisted. His eyes started to roll back into his head and his legs twitched as he screamed in utter excruciating torture._ **

**_"You were absolutely right," she hissed in a sinister tone of humor. "This is lots of fun!" she cackled as she withdrew her hand from his shoulder and held it up to plunge it back for the killing blow when she suddenly twisted her body and grabbed the arrow that would've embedded into her side._ **

**_Her calculatingly destructive gaze stared up at the ledge, where Kakyo the True stood with his bow in hand and another arrow ready to fire. The high priestess stood next to him with her deadpan and cold gaze staring at the atrocious sight. Some of Kakyo's men crouched around the ledge with their weapons ready as the bloodstained Kyouran chuckled and snapped the arrow so the feathered end could fall to the ground, keeping the arrow head in her hand._ **

**_"Stand down, Kyouran," Kakyo ordered as he extended the arrow further on the bow string._ **

**_She smirked demonically and glanced sideways at the demon who was barely breathing from her torture. "I'm taking care of some fun, Kakyo-chan," she snidely condescended as she grabbed the demon's jaw and jerked it back as she pressed the arrowhead mere millimeters from his eye. "Now…I asked you before where Hiretsukan is hiding. Do tell me before I get a little anxious; it'd be great fun to carve out your eyes," she said with deathly sweetness as she crushed him back against the rock and he cried out in bone-crushing pain._ **

**_"ENOUGH!" Kyouran paused and turned her demonic expression towards the high priestess._ **

**_The stern look made her chuckle. "You'll become a human pet now. I might get to finish what I started some other time," she sadistically hissed as she drove the arrowhead into the rock just beside his head and let him crumble to the ground in a broken heap. Then in a movement faster than the breeze that picked up, she was at the ledge walking past Kakyo and the high priestess. Both women glanced at each other for a split moment; one with a cold and calculating semblance while the other smirked and repressed the sadistic and maniacal glint of her red eyes as she walked away until she phased out of sight._ **

**_Kakyo stood down and signaled for some of his men to collect the tortured demon for questioning. "High priestess_ ** **— _"_**

**_"I know, Kakyo. Find her collar and have it repaired. She cannot be without her leash for long," the high priestess interrupted and ordered apathetically as she turned around to deal with the survivors of the massacre._ **

**_"What about the emperor, high priestess?" Kakyo asked with sober steel in his tone._ **

**_The middle-age priestess paused and replied without turning around, "I don't sense his life force. Make preparations to find his body; it must return to Edo before the Red Fox does…"_ **

**_"Wakarimasu."_ **

* * *

 

**_"Sir! We found a battle site up ahead. Demonic carcasses are littered everywhere, but there's a decapitated corpse—"_ **

**_"WHAT!?" Katsumoto roared at his envoy, his fists clenching painfully in his impatience and rage. "You fucking idiots! I told you to stick to the fucking swine! Where the fuck is the head?!"_ **

**_When the men just stared pathetically at each other, he growled and pushed them out of the way and stalked to the clearing. Almost tripping through the gore and guts, Katsumoto hissed in displeasure as he spotted the obvious corpse of his prize, minus the head he had coveted since he came into this fool-proof plan of his. He clenched and unclenched his jaw before crouching next to the body and starting to go through the robe for any item that would indicate his success in overthrowing the emperor and the Tokugawa. All he found was the talisman that still hung around the body's neck. Snatching it off the body, he wrapped it in cloth to preserve the caked bloodstains on the pendant Sumeragi Saiga had blessed specially for the emperor._ **

**_"This damned thing will have to do…" he thought about taking the corpse, but without the head it could be disputed as not being the slain emperor, so he settled for the amulet. Turning to his men, Katsumoto puffed his chest out and basked finally in the increasing wave of victory. "Men! We head for Edo!"_ **

**_His men released shouts of victory and hollered his name in proclamation._ **

**_He signaled one of his envoys over and whispered in his ear, "Go to the priestess village and formally invite Oni Hakaisha to my parade of triumph. Ah, and ask her if by any chance she picked up the emperor's head, and that if she did, I'd most appreciate her giving it to me..."_ **

* * *

 

**_The sky poured heavy rain from the dark and gray clouds that hung over the city of Edo. The masses stood by either side of the road as Katsumoto's victory caravan headed for the Edo-jo, his new home and domain. The people were bitterly quiet and observant as Katsumoto and his men made their way, boastingly cheering and shouting his proclamation as Japan's true leader. In the crowd, a seething Masaki curbed his need for vengeance, and stalked away from the parade. He heard the survivors of the emperor's massacre had arrived at Edo the day before, as had the body of the emperor. Those who witnessed their arrival said that the wounded soldiers who survived carried the crate in which the remains of the emperor were incased for meager burial, since the mourning of the young emperor had been outlawed by Katsumoto's regime._ **

**_He had frantically searched for information of the survivors, particularly one man, but many of the old families of the city were sheltering them and keeping mum incase of any planned retaliations from Katsumoto's factions. As he rounded into an alley, he heard someone call for his attention from a window above him._ **

**_"Young man! You; meet me at the back door."_ **

**_Masaki blinked at the old woman, but went to the door instructed where she opened it and took his hand, swiftly leading him in and out of alleys and through the pounding rain._ **

**_"What is this about, obaa-san—?"_ **

**_"No talking!" she snapped at him, so he begrudgingly remained quiet until they arrived at the large Miyasaki family's shrine. The old woman knocked 4 times before the door swung open. She pulled herself and Masaki in and the door was shut and bolted._ **

**_"I'll take it from here now, obaa-san," a grave woman with a sad countenance led Masaki around the porch of the large shrine. "I'll leave you two alone…" she mumbled as they turned a corner and there stood the tall frame of Teshimine, robed in a plain black robe, obviously in mourning of his comrades and of the emperor he failed to protect._ **

**_Masaki stood frozen in spot, torn by his relief in seeing him alive and safe and his fear that he wasn't the same senpai he had known and fallen for. Teshimine had his back to Masaki as he leant against a heavy beam. The taller man stared straight ahead at the Edo-jo off in the short distance._ **

**_"Masaki-kun…"_ **

**_The young man flinched at hearing his own name, and barreled forward to embrace Teshimine tightly from behind. "Teshimine-senpai…!"_ **

**_Teshimine relaxed into the younger man's embrace before saying softly, "That hurts, Masaki."_ **

**_Startling, Masaki pulled away and allowed Teshimine to turn and face him, finally noticing how tenderly the older man compensated for his wounded side. He stepped closer and lightly touched the bandaging around Teshimine's forehead._ **

**_"It's nothing to die over, Masaki…"_ **

**_"Teshimine!" the younger man shouted, his eyes blazingly staring up at him. "You scared me to death! Why did you wait so long to contact me!"_ **

**_Teshimine gave him a sad smile. "I've only been able to stand for a few hours…I didn't want you to see me like I was," he paused and caressed Masaki's cheek, "don't be mad at me, Masaki."_ **

**_Masaki bit his lip, and pressed his head against the taller man's shoulder and hugged him gently._ **

**_"_ ** **… _I scared you to death…?" was the tentatively impish question that rumbled by Masaki's ear._**

**_"Teshimine! This is no time for your flirting_ ** **— _" he was cut off as the older man brought him closer and kissed him tenderly on the lips._**

**_Masaki stiffened at first, but slowly gave into the kiss, even deepening the kiss himself before they broke away and pressed their foreheads together. "You make me burn when you say my name so passionately, Masaki…" he paused as he kissed his forehead and chuckled, "I managed to keep my promise."_ **

**_For a split second, Masaki tensed before shaking his head wryly and hugging him tighter. "Yes you did..."_ **

* * *

 

**_The gutters could not contain the rushing rain water. Saiga-sama stood over the secret grave site of the former emperor. He prayed with all his saddened will that he may reach the peace he never tasted in life. Katsumoto's men were firing shots and cannons off in the distance in their on going coronation of the unscrupulous former Kitsune no Aka._ **

**_Finished praying, Saiga opened his eyes and looked up into the pouring rain, letting it wash over his alabaster face and drench his raven hair._ **

**_"No one dared stand up to him, even without sufficient proof he killed the emperor…" Saiga sighed and turned slowly to face Kyouran, who stood on the porch, staring at the somber-eyed young Sumeragi elder._ **

**_She grunted and closed her eyes, the pendant throbbing red against her chest. "What now…?"_ **

**_Saiga stepped onto the porch. "I don't know... but this Hiretsukan you mentioned obviously has a set plan. Be careful, Kyouran," he replied stone-toned._ **

**_"You're confusing me for someone else, Saiga-sama," she muttered gruffly and crossed her arms._ **

**_"True, but when you're not wearing that necklace, you certainly become someone else…just be careful."_ **

**_A tense pause passed between them, with only the pounding of the rain and thunder speaking for either of them._ **

**_"Old lady Sumeragi interrogated the shape-shifter. He doesn't know who rules over the underworld. He only knows Hiretsukan, and his minion Arasoi. This other person Hiretsukan mentioned is even a mystery in the demon underground, so there's no way we'll be getting any information on either of their whereabouts…"_ **

**_Sighing, Saiga turned towards the door to the shrine and only muttered, "Spirits, help us all…"_ **

**_Kyouran remained outside, watching the rain and the raucous noises it was booming over. She tried not to remember the feeling of elation, of reckless and regardless fire that burned in her at going without her necklace_ ** **— _a feeling that still lingered in her chest and that yearned for another go._**

**_The priestess village was a day's trip if she walked. Maybe slaughtering some demon packs would get her mind on something else…_ **

**_Or she could pay Katsumoto a visit; thank him for his invitation personally. The thought brought a devilish smirk to her features._ **

* * *

 

**_Iyashii Hiretsukan sat in the throne room of the underground castle he had commissioned for those whose destinies he now foresaw over. His blazing fire eyes were staring up at the beams that held up the castle's dome as Arasoi appeared by his side from the shadows generated by the wall sconces._ **

**_"I know that was hard for you, Arasoi. Forgive me for using you as my tool so short notice. I must've confused you deeply," Hiretsukan remarked in a pleasant but candid tone as he glanced at the pale blue-skinned demon who bowed onto one knee._ **

**_"Not at all, master. I was glad to serve your will in anyway you wish_ ** **— _"_**

**_"Come here, Arasoi."_ **

**_The young demon was startled at the command, and glanced wide-eyed at his master. Then he saw his eyes take on the focused and hungry look he alone had only witnessed before. Gone was the faraway contemplation of his master's fire-orange gaze Arasoi was used to. He stood from his bow and went to his master. Hiretsukan threw his leg over the armrest of the throne and contemplated Arasoi's youthful features; his boyish lips and chiseled jaw; the black spiking bangs that veiled his striking cobalt blue eyes; and the long braid that snaked over his shoulder._ **

**_"Were you severely injured," he asked as he reached his hand out to caress Arasoi's cheek roughly._ **

**_Instead of recoiling, Arasoi took comfort in the gesture and leant into it. "No, master. Mostly flesh wounds…"_ **

**_"And not one scar…nothing can harm you, can it," the rhetorical question was extended with the husk of his tone, which made Arasoi slightly shiver._ **

**_As sudden as he caressed, Hiretsukan abruptly pulled the gesture away and his gaze glanced away from Arasoi._ **

**_"I showed him the battles you witnessed. He was enthralled by her true nature, so enthralled in fact, that I'm sure we shouldn't have anymore resistance in his compliance," he stated with repressed confidence as he stared off to the side._ **

**_"I'm glad, master…" Arasoi diverted his eyes to the floor in forced reverence, feeling stupid for wanting more of his master's rough caresses._ **

**_"You pleased me greatly today, Arasoi."_ **

**_The husky remark snapped Arasoi to look into that focused blazing fire gaze again, and to be consumed by it. Hiretsukan pulled him closer and down on his lap as he sat casually on the throne still._ **

**_"Are you willing to please me more, Arasoi?" he asked in a severely gruff and animalistic growled whisper as he forced Arasoi to straddle and grind down on his lap. The boy's usually blue-skinned semblance blushed magenta as he stared into his master's possessive gaze._ **

**_Arasoi reverently traced the 3 scar-like marks that jutted across his master's cheekbones before submitting to his rough tugs and sharp mouth over his own hungry and desperate one._ **

**_Hiretsukan enjoyed having people's full compliance, but having Arasoi's total submission…that had driven him perversely wild, even when he first took in the boy; when he was just a wide-eyed hatchling, starving and craving any type of possessive attention he could get. Iyashii Hiretsukan knew how to get his way, and he definitely knew how to please, especially when pleasing had nothing to do with Arasoi. He could focus on this now that it was all progressing; destiny could be such a chore, but it's benefits were always worth the sacrifices…"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japanese terms:
> 
> Wakarimasu - Understood  
> Taichou - Captain  
> Hai - Yes/Yeah


	16. Drifting and Writhing

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought "Dream"_ "**Other Language **"**

**Nail stood over her unconscious form before sitting on the edge of the bed and pressing a cool damp cloth on her forehead to stifle her fever. Looming at the doorway of her quarters was Piccolo, his arms crossed so tightly his tendons were flexed in sharp tension. He stared at her paled features, his stomach knotted with the worry and anxiety that were usually so foreign in him.**

**Sighing, Nail stood from the bed and faced his counterpart. "It's not a coma, thank Kami. It seems more like an unconscious sleep. I'm not sure when she'll awake, but surely it won't be soon, with the fever and all…" he trailed off as he realized just how worried Piccolo looked. His expression gave nothing away, but his eyes were focused solely on her unmoving form, tucked under the white covers of her bed.**

**Diverting his gaze, he walked past Piccolo towards the main room, silently letting him know he was giving him privacy. Piccolo closed his eyes, his exhale calming as he stepped towards the bedside Nail had just vacated. He stared down at Sofia's sweaty features and absently wiped away some moisture from her cheek as he sat at the edge of the bed.**

**She'd been unconscious for many hours now. When her eyes shut and he couldn't tell if she was breathing, he had quickly taken her in his arms and headed back to the palace, where he had split-formed from Nail so he could take a look at her. The warrior class Namek had enough experience in first-aid to know just what to do. He had ordered Piccolo to fill the bathtub with cold water so he could dump her in, since her body was burning up. While Piccolo silently did so, Nail undressed her and placed her in a plain white gown, using her blood-stained shirt to clean the rest of the blood from her face and neck.**

**When the tub was filled, Piccolo came back into the room and took Sofia from Nail's arms, and wordlessly returned to the bathtub, where he gently eased her into the frigid water. He kneeled at the tub's side, holding her head up so it wouldn't submerge. Nail followed him into the tiled bathroom and stood over his shoulder, watching as the ruthless warrior carefully cupped water into his hand and ran it along her face, quietly repeating the action with her hair.**

**After a few minutes of him absently repeating the treatment, Nail had cleared his throat, snapping Piccolo back to the other's presence. He let Nail take over then, standing back and mutely watching as he pressed his forehead to hers. Once the former native of Namek had ascertained she was physically and mentally alright, he had picked her up out of the tub and had been surprised once again when Piccolo took her out of his arms and walked away with her to her quarters.**

**Water dripped all over the floor and into her bed sheets as he placed her on the bed. Nail came in and once again took over, drying her hair and her garments before placing a compress to her forehead and tucking her under the comforter.**

**Piccolo stood up from the bed and contemplated her sleeping features once more before turning towards the main room.**

**"It wasn't your fault, Piccolo," he glanced up at Nail, who sternly looked at him from the kitchen doorway.**

**Glancing away from his counterpart, he asked in a monotone, "Is there anything else for you to do?"**

**Nail crossed his arms and sighed. "There's nothing else I can do. It's up to her…" he trailed off as Piccolo's cold glare focused on him again.**

**"Then its good that time's up," he remarked, as he came to stand in front of Nail.**

**Bowing his head, Nail placed both of his hands on Piccolo's shoulderpads, a white and yellow aura beginning to envelop them both before it flashed brilliantly. When Piccolo opened his eyes, he was alone again.**

**He dug his white nails into his palms, his jaw clenched tightly as he stood there feeling a maddening sense of helplessness.**

**"Dammit..!" he ground out loud, his eyes clenching shut in his rising frustration and anger.**

**"Just wake up and end this, Sofia…"**

* * *

 

**_"Bring me more sake!" Katsumoto roared with a victorious smile as he tossed the empty jug at on of his men. The man nodded and chuckled as he pushed through the crowd of drunken and hollering masses that filled the spacious room. Food, women, and drink were flowing freely and wantonly, as were the laughs and shouts in Katsumoto's honor. The hall he had met Kyouran in that first night was now the center of his victory celebrations, and he would've never thought even his genius could grant him the status he'd sought so quickly._ **

**_He tore into a piece of salted pork and chewed predatorily as he traced his gleaming stare over all the faces. He saw the group of geisha and felt his pulse throb in his veins. A wench would do him some good after the few days of celebration he had sieged the city with._ **

**_One of his men jumped up on the long mahogany table and did a drunken dance, to the amusement of the group of men swarming all around the room. Katsumoto snickered, and snatched the bottle of imported European wine one of his men was swinging around in drunken conversation. Taking a long swig, he licked his lips and eyed the contents of the bottle._ **

**_"European swine can sure make a sweet ale. Where's the strong stuff?!" he shouted after draining the bottle and tossing it against a pillar, shattering the bottle loudly, but not loud enough to dull the raucous debauchery that echoed in the hall. "More sake now!"_ **

**_Glancing at the geisha again, he decided that after he got another jug he'd saunter over and show one or a few of them how the new lord and master of Japan claimed what he was due. A soldier presented him with a ceramic jug brimming with sake, of which he took one long swig and sighed contentedly before wiping his mouth and looking back to the gallery of females._ **

**_That's when he saw her._ **

**_Kyouran stared with a hooded crimson gaze from behind the small group of intoxicated and giggling women, her long obi resembling a pool of deep red as it cascaded fluidly down her lovely curves to flare outward around her feet. Her necklace and hair gleamed in the light of the sconces as she turned to give him a sultry glance from her profile before walking quietly into the shadows of the hall and exiting into the back rooms._ **

**_Katsumoto felt her stare send a jolt of awareness to his groin, and the utter surprise of her presence enticed him into chasing after her. He pushed passed the throng towards the back rooms, going through the sliding door and entering a cluttered hall of cheap women and horny soldiers. He could see her cascading chocolate hair swinging with her movements, and got a glimpse of her provocative red gaze as she turned down a corner, her lashes fluttering at him and a small smirk pulling at her dark-painted lips. Shoving a man out of the way, he darted down the hall and took the corner in a dash to keep up with the usually lethal woman. Reaching a niche in the hall, he turned and looked up the narrow steps leading up to his new chambers and saw Kyouran standing on the landing. He took the steps two at a time as she turned and went out of sight._ **

**_"Kyouran, my pet," he called with a husky-but-determined drawl as he roamed down the dimly lit hall. "It pleases me to see you're not upset or resentful at my victory. I'm glad you accepted my invitation," he called down one of the halls, but she didn't respond. "But why not come out and let me thank you for helping make this all possible?" he walked into the sitting room just before the entrance to his quarters, and saw Kyouran's glowing red eyes peeking at him from behind the door of his room just as she shut it silently._ **

**_Katsumoto chuckled, very pleased with himself as he licked his lips as he put down the sake bottle on the nearest table and headed for the door._ **

**_"Oh Kyouran," he confidently purred as he entered the room._ **

**_His eyes grew wide as he saw her smirk from the balcony's railing, two barrels of black gun powder on either side of the frame and crates filled with rockets scattered around the room. She snapped her fingers, creating a spark that ignited the barrels of gun powder and crates filled to the brim with fireworks just as Katsumoto shouted a curse and dove out of the room. An ear-deafening explosion rocked through the whole building, sending shrieking fireworks to shoot, pop, and crackle all over the room and into the walls._ **

**_Kyouran watched the dazzling explosions of color and sparkles from the roof of the Fujimi Yagura, leaning back on her palms and crossing her legs as the breeze played with the pool of fabric that dangled over her perch. Once the explosions dissipated to random pops and fizzles of smoke, Katsumoto dragged himself up from under the plush couch he'd flipped over and used for protection from the dangerous projectiles. He kicked the debris away from the door to his room and made his way through the wreckage toward the jarring tear in the side of the building that used to be his balcony._ **

**_"ONI HAKAISHA!"_ **

**_She heard the roar of incensed fury and stood, looking elegant even as she stood on the roof drain of the edifice. She pulled out a kunai knife from the inside of her tight obi and flung it effortlessly across the distance to embed in the ragged and singed wood of the bedpost directly off to his side._ **

**_Growling, he tore the knife out and unwrapped the note attached to it._ **

_Your libido, while earning you the victory of Edo, also almost led to your demise. Keep it to yourself if you know what is good for you._

**_Fisting the note irately, Katsumoto's quicksilver gaze took on a look of trepidation and anger as shouts and yells began to pour in from outside of his room._ **

**_Kyouran was no longer on the roof, but all Katsumoto could do was glare at the spot she was once in. "Fucking...BITCH!"_ **

* * *

 

**_The dark cavern glimmered with stray rays of sunlight that penetrated the gaping mouth from above, the worlds of darkness and light seeming to shift as Hiretsukan emerged from a tunnel towards the imposing figure that had his back to him at the edge of the slanted plateau ledge that led to a bottomless drop into darkness that even the sunlight was unable to penetrate. His fire-orange gaze flickered from the light as his expression set into displeasure while the figure cleared his throat._ **

**_"I have grown vexed with your…arrangements, Iyashii," The figure announced in a tempered tone, not bothering to address the demon or his minion with a glance._ **

**_Arasoi stared tensely in the shadows at his master, who stepped closer to the figure. "You are rushing what must come with time, sire," he stated with submerged irritation. "Perhaps touring your new throne room would_ ** **— _"_**

**_"If you continue to speak to me as an insipid human child, I will cut your tongue off and make you swallow it!" the figure suddenly snapped without moving from his spot._ **

**_Hiretsukan ground his jaw while the figure stared up at the blue sky that rolled pass the jagged crevice of the cavern. "I want to see her…to have some fun with her," he stated in a husky whisper more to himself than to the strategic demon._ **

**_"I have seen the path your destinies must take before you are united, and now is not the time_ ** **— _"_**

**_The figure whirled and grabbed Hiretsukan by the throat, lifting him so his leather-clad feet dangled from the rock floor while the mysterious figure bore his narrowed obsidian eyes into him. Arasoi appeared suddenly to defend his master, but stopped when Hiretsukan made a minute gesture with his hand for him to not move._ **

**_"What you make up in intelligence you lack in vision, Iyashii Hiretsukan. I have let things progress to your measures for long enough!" he seethed viciously with a wicked inflection to his growl before letting him go and struggle to regain his breath._ **

**_"Taming a spirit like hers isn't a novel task, sire!" Hiretsukan stated with veiled contempt as Arasoi stood like a sentinel by his side._ **

**_Grunting at the statement, the figure began to ascend towards the now blistering sunlight from the cavern's mouth. "Then it is a good thing that I'm the only one adept at the challenge, isn't it?" he stated sinisterly as he faded from sight._ **

**_Hiretsukan cursed loudly and whirled around, coming into gaze with the cobalt blue eyes of his loyal subject. Stalking past him, he barreled down the tunnel and barked to the young demon, "The contingency plan has kicked into action, Arasoi! Do as I've instructed," his voice echoed from the tunnel._ **

**_Arasoi set his jaw, his skin crawling at what he must do next. But no matter the trepidation the business of ordaining destinies created, his devotion to his master would fuel him into the darkness that lay ahead…_ **

* * *

 

**Sofia felt the darkness come all around her like a cloak, heavy and stifling. She tried to thrash herself into consciousness, but unlike before, she couldn't awaken from the darkness.**

**_What's going on…the dream is long over, so why can't I wake up…_ **

**She felt something circling her in the darkness, and she tried to force it away and wake up, but it began to scrape all around her, like sandpaper against raw skin. She tried to yell, but the heaviness was numbing her from struggling, even from parting her lips. Suddenly, she felt as if she was being sucked down deeper, and that the jarring feeling was materializing as an entity rather than a sense of dread.**

**_'Nisou Kyouran,_ ** **' a sudden ominous voice called out from all directions, and Sofia began to feel as if she was being pawed at by strong hands from all sides. Suddenly, the invisible hands gripped down on her arms and sunk down on her shoulders. ' _Or is it_** _Sofia **now?**_ **' the voice suddenly rasped frighteningly close to her ear.**

**Sofia felt her skin crawl, and every fiber of her being wanted to wretch away from the invisible force, but it sunk deeper on her as she arched and thrashed violently to escape. Then, she was suddenly hauled up and slammed against something searing in the dark, and she felt her whole body revolt and her lips curled in a wild snarl. She couldn't scream, or even whimper the force was so overpowering.**

**_'Please struggle… it makes me miss seeing the real thing, my gemini!_ ** **' she felt the slashes start to tear into her skin, superficial but stinging like hot pokers to her. ' _You're what's left of the whore? I can't wait to_** _break you **…!**_ **' the voice spat with acidic malice as it began to fist its tapered fingers sharply into her hair and tug her neck back as she bared her fangs and seethed like a muzzled animal.**

**Swiftly, a jarring jolt shot up all her senses as she felt something wet and ravenous drag lazily along her neck, and all Sofia could see was the darkness in her eyes, even as her mind's eye began to be assaulted by the rapid flow of gory, horrifying slaughter of faceless figures, screams and cries for mercy inundating her to the point of revulsion. As the screams turned bloodcurdling and she began to shake under the overpowering force, she heard the demonic voice whisper almost impishly, ' _Can you see what fun we could've had? There's still a chance it can happen,_** _lover **!**_ **'**

**Then sudden gnarling pain of having something impale through her chest made her choke and her throat clenched. Her eyes went wide, and she heard the mocking lamenting voice grate into her senses as it hissed, ' _Entering you like this makes me want to skip the foreplay and claim you for real…_ '**

**Blistering agony overtook her senses as Sofia tore against the force's hold and began to roar a scream as the pain shot up her spine and blinded her even to the darkness…**

* * *

 

**Piccolo paced the same line in the tiled floor back and forth as he tried to fight the crippling sense of worry that kept trying to invade his thoughts. His arms were at his sides, tense and flexed from having his hands tightly clenched into fists for over an hour as he mentally berated himself.**

**'Piccolo, I was thinking…' Nail suddenly ventured. 'What if…you and Sofia leave the chamber earlier than planned,' he stated more than asked, the aloofness usually in his tone absent now.**

**Piccolo halted in his place and contemplated what his counterpart just said. He mulled it over, and the answer was too obvious to him.**

**'No. We're not leaving.'**

**A short silence fell before Nail said a bit more firmly, 'Are you sure? Even if Sofia doesn't wake up anytime soon?'**

**Piccolo frowned. 'She's likely to snap out of it soon. The facts that she's breathing and she's unharmed make it clear that this is only temporar—'**

**'That doesn't mean anything, Piccolo. Just because she's physically fine, doesn't mean she's psychologically unharmed. Maybe staying in this chamber wasn't a good idea,' Nail sagaciously interjected.**

**'What in the hell would the chamber have to do with anything?' Piccolo ground out in irritation.**

**'She is from another realm, Piccolo. A totally different plane of existence; staying in this altered chamber of space and time could be having an effect on her that we don't perceive,' Nail stated patiently, which earned a deeper frown from Piccolo.**

**'Be that as it may, it doesn't change the fact that we haven't accomplished what we came in here for, and I'm not leaving until we do,' he stated in a monotone-but-stubborn tone. 'It isn't like the old man didn't warn me. He said she'd go through some weird changes, maybe this is just another one of those changes that we can't help.'**

**'Not to be argumentative, but when do you ever listen to Kami-sama?' Nail remarked as frugally as he could.**

**Setting his jaw, Piccolo regarded his position in the argument, and realized that he was arguing against being rid of Sofia. If he agreed to leave the chamber prematurely, she'd surely end up having to return to her realm, and he'd just have to find another means for training as much as possible before Frieza arrived.**

**So why was he thinking of toughing it out with her? Why not get out now and let Kami sort this mess out?**

**'Piccolo, you don't know what she has been going through. I'm not trying to make you the scapegoat, but it isn't as if you've asked her about her dreams…' Nail stated and trailed off in contemplation.**

**'What does her sleep cycle have to do with this?' Piccolo countered in aggravation.**

**"** EEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH **!"**

**Piccolo jerked his head towards Sofia's quarters and ran to the doorway, her shout still echoing up to the dome ceiling. He watched on as Sofia thrashed and clenched her jaw as her hands and legs twitched from wild spasms. In a heartbeat he was rushing towards her, but Nail told him to stop.**

**'What do you mean don't touch her!?'**

**'You don't know under what duress she could be in! It could harm the both of you if you make contact with her right now,' Nail stated in a hard tone to his counterpart, but Piccolo stood in conflict as he watched her arch off the bed and shout as if she was being tortured.**

**"Dammit—Sofia!" he ignored Nail's warning and leant over her just to shake her awake when her eyes snapped wide open and she began to thrash and roar like an animal on the defensive, lashing out at him as if she was trying to tear him apart with her black talon-like nails.**

**Piccolo jumped back just as she tore through the front of his gi and scraped the metal that rigged his shoulderpads together, slashing and gnarling the front of his cape. Sofia lunged at him, maddened cries drowning out his shouts as he grabbed her wrists and tried to get her under control before she hurt him or herself by thrashing around so violently.**

**She was shockingly strong. He could barely restrain her wrists before she jerked them wildly out of his grip. Her pupils were dilated and her gaze was unfocused as she cried out savagely, wringing wildly in forceful directions to be released so she could tear into him. Finally unable to keep her at bay any longer, Piccolo tugged her harshly towards him and braced her against him while he jerked her wrists between them and pinned them together against his chest.**

**"SOFIA! SNAP OUT OF IT!" he shouted directly in her face and she stiffened, her frame trembling with fear and animal rage. The air between them was crackling with static, and her skin was scalding hot. Slowly, clarity started to seep into her wide gaze, her pupils coming into focus on him. "Sofia…it's me," Piccolo said in a stern-but-soothing tone. "It's me…"**

**Her whole body was recoiling against his touch, but she was returning from what ever primal mania took her over. Deciding it was safe to let go, he eased his grip from her wrists and stood firm, bracing himself for a possible outburst. However, she sunk back on her heels, her hands falling to her lap as her trembling turned into a nervous shake. He watched her silently, wishing the turmoil in him would subside so he could get his bearings.**

**Then her eyes looked up into his and he felt a chill go through him. Her eyes were still wide, blank with shock, but her expression was so haunted, as if she'd seen years of brutality that would even make the most jaded warrior cringe with dread.**

**"It's me…it was only a nightmare," he said in a hushed tone, as if he was trying to soothe a wild animal with the tone of his voice. He stepped closer to her and she unexpectedly sat up and thrust forward, fisting her hands in the cape of his shoulderpads.**

**Piccolo stood stiff as she trembled, holding onto him as if she was afraid to fall back into whatever darkness she had just escaped. Her eyes shifted wildly on his expression, as if she was trying to see someone else.**

**"Sofia…" he gingerly placed his hands on her back, the touch so light it wasn't even denting her clothes. She finally forced her trembling eyes onto his, and she fidgeted closer against his hard frame. She felt her vision explode in clarity, his eyes breaking through to her in stark recognition. Those onyx orbs were warm and deep, and all she wanted was to be held by their power forever; to be protected by him.**

**Sinking against him, she clung to him, and Piccolo had to catch her before she crumbled completely. He supported her, feeling her ragged breath against his chest and how her fingers twisted into the back of his cape and shirt while he stared worriedly down on her.**

**It felt so ephemeral to him. She made him feel like everything was there and gone in a blink of the eye, and that the only thing he could hold onto was her. His mind went blank when she looked up at him again. She shifted, and she was suddenly so close, so warm against him. Her hands fisted into his cape as she leaned up and he brought her up to meet his parted lips.**

**She sighed in desperate relief and clung to him anxiously as he enveloped his arms around her. They kissed frantically, his worry and distress from before dissipating at the feeling of her heat against him. Sofia kept shifting to accommodate her disproportionate height, her bust rubbing against his exposed stomach and chest with her movements. Piccolo's skin was tingling in that alien way that made him manic with curiosity. He cupped her rear and brought her up, pressing her securely against his chest as he kissed her deeper, their tongues languidly rubbing and probing against each other.**

**Sofia was still trembling, but Piccolo's warmth and his hard body were keeping her anchored, and she wanted so much to never let go, to never fall asleep and for him to protect her. They parted from their kiss, utterly breathless and clinging to each other as if they'd float apart if they didn't.**

**She kissed him again, and Piccolo let her, but his body was growing stiff from her contact, and he felt himself getting aroused. He began to snap out of the reverie-like state he'd fallen into and started to disengage from the situation, pulling her arms from their tight grip on him and holding her back.**

**Sofia didn't want to let go, she wanted him to hold her and protect her. The noise that rose from her throat sounded like a weak protest, and Piccolo felt a shiver go up his spine. "D-don't…!" she whispered in a tone he'd never heard from her.**

**He paused, and she looked pleadingly up into his gaze. Piccolo knew he couldn't do this. Parting harshly from her, he let her stumble dangerously close to the edge of the mattress. Swiftly, he walked to the doorway and left her there, alone and utterly scared for the first time in a long time. Her chest contracted in pain, a sharp, hollowing pain threatening to cripple her limbs. She jerked desperately against the nullifying paralysis and lunged to move, forcing herself out of the bed to fall to the cold floor. The shocking cold made her flash to her nightmare, and her body stiffened as she felt the pendant of her necklace send a sharp pulse into her chest.**

**She suddenly had the volition to jerk up to her feet, her pain turning into unbearable anger. Gripping the pendant against her chest, she snarled at being abandoned and tried to focus her resolve at the doorway several feet away.**

**Piccolo stood in inner turmoil at the steps exiting to the void. Nail was yelling at him, but he couldn't hear anything the other Namekian shouted. He could only feel the crippling sense of despair that overtook him at knowing he had to detach himself…He was too damned attached. It was making him feel things that were foreign and that filled him with so much overwhelming fear and bitterness.**

**His white nails were digging sharply into his palms as he felt her presence, watching him. He turned, coaxing his expression into an empty mask as he looked at her over his shoulder. She stood away from the doorway, her hand gripping the pendant at her chest as she supported herself against the wall with the other arm. Her eyes were veiled by her hair as it fell over her face, her mouth parted as she inhaled and exhaled her breath hungrily.**

**He couldn't help but turn and walk up the steps to cut some of the emptiness between them, but his mind shouted vehemently for him to stop. Standing in utter conflict, Piccolo berated himself for his damned indecision and his weakness that only—**

**"You _coward,_ " she seethed between clenched teeth as she glared up at him.**

**He was taken aback not only by her accusation, but by the red flare in her eyes that sparked just as fast as it dissipated. She clawed at the wall, standing straight while her features betrayed a swell of pain that went through her from her efforts. Her hand fisted the pendant as she pressed her side to the wall.**

**"Sofia—"**

**"Don't say a word to me! You _fucking_  coward!" she felt her anger boiling; every pore seemed stretched as if she would burst from her rage, and the pangs of pain kept shooting into her chest.**

**Despite the emotional turmoil flooding his mind, anger rose sharply within him at being verbally accosted by her. "Watch yourself—!" he spat between clenched teeth as he stalked closer to her. Before he could get too close, she pushed him back with a solid telekinetic blow to the chest. The blow knocked the wind out of him.**

**"You're like everyone else," she stated with submerged hurt. "You are no better than everyone else…you're so empty of anything meaningful; all you have is the fear of the world inside you, you fucking coward—!" she gritted her teeth as every wave of anger jolted through her chest.**

**"Shut your mouth, Sofia—!" he was suddenly closer to her than she expected he could be in the blink of an eye. He grabbed her by the upper arms and subdued her against the wall before she could compose enough focus for another telekinetic blow. "Who do you think you are?! You're just a selfish brat with no comprehension of the world! Just because you can't stand to live your own life doesn't give you the right to try and latch onto mine!" he shouted in her face, letting go of her arms as he spat out, "Don't confuse me with what you are ever again."**

**He hadn't made it a step away from her when she suddenly spat, "Can't stand to live, huh," Piccolo glanced back at her, not understanding her retort. "Living in a shell of your former self since Goku defeated you," she whispered contumely, hitting a nerve when she added, "you can't stand what you've become, and because of that you push everyone away…you're a coward and a fool…and to top it off, for all your noble sacrifices, you're still fucking empty inside."**

**He turned, his imposing height pressing over her. His glare was hollow of anything, but she felt his rage as if it came off in waves from him.**

**" _Just_  like  _you_."**

**Her eyes wavered in anger from the cold utterance, and he saw a pang of fury flash through as she shouted, "At least I wasn't created to be a hollow, hateful coward—!"**

**SLAAAAAAAAAAAP!**

**The contact of skin striking skin echoed to the domed ceiling.**

**Piccolo stood stiff, his arm still extended from hitting Sofia across the face with the back of his hand. He slowly lowered his hand when she stood transfixed against the wall, a bruise forming on her cheek and a welt swelling the corner of her mouth from his blow. Her eyes were wide, while her expression betrayed a torrent of emotions that struggled to reach the surface.**

**Nail shouted at him, but Piccolo could only focus on Sofia. He never let his temper get the best of him, especially in a situation that didn't involve life or death. She could push his buttons, sure, but she had never hit a nerve that would make him lash out in such a petty way. The ruthless warrior felt a jolt in his chest. Guilt? No, it was more like…shame. He'd hit her in temperamental anger when she hadn't deserved it. His mind was a tumult of indecision. The one thing he wanted to do was hold her…but he knew they had floated so far apart in the last few minutes that it would be a miracle if they could ever return to what they had before…**

**Sofia felt the ire she hadn't felt in years rise up in her like a sick, dizzying wave. He'd hit her…he had abandoned her in her overwhelming fear and now he'd hit her as if she was an inferior, weak creature that he could abuse into submission. She couldn't feel anything inside of her but that violent wave of fury…The person she'd trusted for months with her very life was her ultimate betrayer, and she couldn't help feeling the devastating decay eat away at her from the inside…**

**He reached out for her arm as she remained still, staring blankly while her shoulders shook minutely. "Sofia—"**

**Her eyes came alive with wrath as she focused on him. In a split second, she fiercely struck him in the face with a punch that snapped his head to the side and sent him to sprawl to the ground.**

**His head swam as he sat up and stared at her, the copper-sweet taste of his blood and the loose tooth in his mouth shocking him into incredulity more than the actual blow.**

**When he looked back up at her, he could see how her frame shook uncontrollably, as if she was being torn apart inside. Sofia abruptly stared down at him with a lethal glare that was completely alien to her usually cool and playful countenance. That's when the necklace started to pulsate to the rhythm of her heartbeat.**

**"If you come near me again…. _I will…kill you_ —!" she forced past her clenched throat before phasing out into her room and out through the archway. He heard her blast off into the void.**

**Before Piccolo knew it, he was on his feet and running out after her, his stomach in knots and a cold sweat breaking out along his spine as his mind raced. He suddenly realized the quandary he was in: he needed to pull her back from the brink, but she had severely warned him; if he got too close now, both of them could harm the other more than anything else could. But, he felt compelled to reach over the void that he had stupidly created. He could see her energy trail, a violent red tearing through the ghostly white of the chamber's sky.**

**Blasting towards her at a breakneck speed, Piccolo tried to sort through the mire in his mind. Adrenaline, anxiety, irrational anger, and guilt fueled him, tugging at his insides until he felt like his abdomen was tied in knots. Everything was racing around him, and he fought every urge to not lose his temper and make a rash move in subduing Sofia.**

**He knew something was wrong. The way that necklace pulsated was eerie and ominous, nothing like the flashes it would have when she'd suffer a bout of rage. It was almost as if it fed off of her, and she off of it. How his mind could mull over anything in his frenzied pursuit made him wonder, and then dismiss it all. He could only focus on her manic maneuvers to ditch him, but even if he had to deplete his ki to catch up with her he would without a second thought.**

**_Please Sofia_ ** **— _! Let me fix this…!_**

* * *

 

**She was burning from the inside out. And that wasn't a metaphor for the pain and fury she felt. It felt like her blood was on fire and it was roaring to burn right out of her. Her senses were throbbing, her whole body and mind thrown into a hypersensitive chaos that she could barely focus on a thought or catching her ragged breath. The pain was intense—yet utterly hollowing. The only thing that pushed the emptiness that threatened to swallow her from the inside out was the irrepressible _rage_. Each pang of fury sent a jolt right through her chest, along with a myriad of harried images and noises, as if her mind was screaming and her memories were being erased and replaced with others. Only one voice kept breaking through to taunt her in the anarchy of her mind.**

**_'Nisou Kyouran!'_ ** **The voice rasped in a vicious sing song tone, jarring everything in her and causing her to lace her talon-like nails into her scalp and scream. The loss of control caused her to plummet in the air, and the chaos is her mind suddenly became replaced with the confusion of above and below, stark white in all directions distorting her senses so much that she barely remained in the air, regaining jerkily her control. That's when she finally sensed Piccolo gaining on her. She suddenly halted in mid air and whirled on him, the action so abrupt that Piccolo barely had time to come to a skidding halt just yards away from her.**

**Piccolo's jaw was clenched so tight the muscle was twitching from the tension. He couldn't believe the malcontent she held in her gaze. Eyes that looked ancient, but vivid from the ire she held solely for him bore down, her breath ragged and her frame jerky under the brunt of internal turmoil while her pendant pulsated turbulently.**

**They both floated above the ghostly floor. The air around them was suffocating and thick, but even Piccolo didn't expect for Sofia to raise her hand palm facing out at him, seething through bared fangs, "I told you to _stay away_!" **

**Just as her hand started to envelop with crimson ki, Piccolo's keen battle sense kicked in at realizing he couldn't fully avoid the blast. He phased as quickly as he could in front of her and gripped her forearm firmly, jerking it away so the blast misfired into the distance of the void, the echo of its crash rumbling raucously like thunder. Sofia recovered by palm hitting him in the jaw and jabbing a pressure point with her index and middle fingers in his shoulder that sent a hot jolt into the joint, forcing Piccolo to grunt and let go of her forearm. He fell back just in time to avoid a roundhouse so full of force that it probably would've sent him reeling to the ground below.**

**"Dammit—! STOP and let me—oof!" Piccolo's shout was silenced by a telekinetic blow that sent him skidding back in the air.**

**Sofia was in berserk mode, not even hesitating as she cupped her hands to her sides and charged a crackling sphere of energy within her bowled palms. As sudden as her rage flared, the pendant resting over her chest shot a paralyzing pain that went through her and directly up her spine. She yelled from the intense pain and grabbed her skull, the hot flash sending her mind into debilitating blindness to her surroundings and causing her to plummet and crash to the ground hard.**

**"Sofia!" Piccolo blasted down to the ground, landing hard on his knees from still having the wind knocked out of him. He recovered quickly and rushed towards her, gripping her arms in an attempt to stop her from thrashing about from the pain and inner torment.**

**Meanwhile, Sofia felt trapped in her head, as an unknown force entrapped her in a slew of flashes and nauseating confusion of scenes engulfed in fire, death, war, with an unexplained gravitation to such mayhem rising all around and within her. Then, from the chaos emerged stark darkness. It was thick and suffocating, as if she was submerged in an ocean where the surface was miles above her head. Before she thought she was going to black out, Sofia was grabbed and pulled towards her concealed tormentor, the air exploding from her lungs as terror prickled all of her senses.**

' ** _I've been craving your taste for eons_ —SOFIA!" the tormenting and insidious obsidian eyes of her nightmare and of Kyouran's past instantly morphed into dark onyx that was completely alien to her in the chaotic haze. **

**"** GET AWAY FROM ME **!" She shrieked in a whirl of fear and fury, lashing out at Piccolo like a frenzied and injured animal, managing to slash the side of his face from his cheekbone to his jaw.**

**Piccolo hissed and leapt away from her, jumping into a less intimidating pose and cautiously judging his distance from her as she regained her stance and circled around herself, as if she was looking for shadows and aggressors that just weren't there.**

**Reality blasted into her eyes, the blistering white stinging her retinas as she staggered on her hands and knees into a defensive stance. Her actions were blurring with the fear she felt. She was barely aware Piccolo had touched her until she felt her black nails slash his face.**

" **Just-stay-** away **!" she hissed quietly, not really focusing on him until he moved towards her. Her pendant flared red, and Sofia shrieked when a powerful and jarring pain went through her like a lightning bolt. She instantly keeled over, gripping her head and thrashing convulsively when she hit the floor.**

**The white light blasted away into a vision of mangled bodies strewn throughout a small charred and bloodied village. She heard wails of despair and utter torment echoing in her ears, the scenes blasting from one to another so rapidly she was getting nauseous from the visual chaos. Then a desolate meadow emerged from the dark recesses of the chaos. Sofia felt like she was a vapor caught in an immobile vacuum, her senses numbing while a benign sensation began to sharpen within her. The field felt incorporeal and cold, but beyond that Sofia stopped registering her surroundings and focused on the eerie figure that stood in the wavering darkness of the tall gray grasses.**

**She instantly knew it was Kyouran. She couldn't make out anything but the shape of her frame and her facial features. Then her vision fizzled and she felt like she was looking in the opposite point of reference, instead she _knew_  it wasn't Kyouran who loomed in the swaying gray grass. She was staring at herself. The alarming thing was that neither figure differed in appearance. It was as if they were mirror images of one another, but acutely decipherable in aura. When that shocking realization struck her, Sofia felt her vision shift again, but this time the thrumming aura was suffocating, shifting Kyouran's appearance in the penumbra. It was pure  _rage_. The aura was contorting into malicious and flagrant viciousness that was so inundating it felt as if she would be consumed whole by it. Yet again she was thrust to seeing herself, but her figure too was slowly changing into the mirror image of Kyouran's nocuous and blatant malevolent aura. **

**The passivity of her perspective broke, and she found herself trapped between the mirror images until both figures shifted and became one. She was within the purely un-concentrated rage, paralyzed to stop the wave rise within her and pour out of her very psyche. When it felt as if she would suffocate, a sensation akin to a searing current began to lace up her limbs, scorching her with a black tribal-like vine of fire to brand all over her. Just as the violent sensation reached her face, her vision exploded and all the energy around her curdled into a scintillating haze that seemed to deafen everything around her. The final image was of herself as she opened her now crimson eyes and the black brand coalesced from her left eye to slither down the side of her face.**

**Piccolo had rushed over to her when she convulsed to the ground. Her eyes stared in stark blindness right at him, but he knew she was gone to whatever internal struggle was blazing within her. His mind was racing and he could feel his heart slamming against his ribcage as a sudden sense of helplessness seized his mind. Just when he had decided to pick her up and rush her back to the small palace, Sofia bolted against him and tore herself from his grip, screaming and wrenching herself up before blasting off into the sky. When Piccolo gave pursuit, he watched as she was seized yet again by the violent attacks on her psyche. However, just as quickly it dissipated and she stopped, whirling slowly to face his direction and stare him down.**

**He could've sworn her chocolate eyes were flashing crimson, but when he phased closer to her, the peculiar glint was gone and her aura was heavy with fierce loathing as it scintillated violently around her.**

**Unexpectedly, the crackling boom of thunder resounded within the endless void of the chamber. That's when Piccolo felt a rain drop land on a brow ridge and run down the contours of his angular countenance. The drop was followed by more and more, until the void's sky was seized in thick, cloudy darkness before a torrential downpour begun. Staring aghast at the sky, Piccolo watched as lightning began to scintillate within the clouds before striking out across the atmosphere. A large bolt of lighting struck the ground, flashing the horizon red, and calling his attention back to Sofia.**

**She floated, her red aura complimented by the flashing of brilliant lighting that were accompanied by the raucous roar of thunder. The rain pelted down on them, but Sofia's burning aura fizzled the rain before it could touch her skin. _Her psychological state is reverberating this dimension…this is her inner state,_  Piccolo mentally concluded just as an electric bolt slammed into the ground just to his side. Sofia struck him before the flash of light dissipated and the thunder rolled. **

**The pendant was glowing steadily as she quietly succumbed to her berserk mania, effectively forcing Piccolo on the defensive with a series of blows and phases that had him dizzy. He guarded every blow but could feel her fiery ki lick at his skin. The chamber revolted all around them, lighting raining down and flashing so bright that he would lose sight of her just before she would reappear and sock him in the jaw.**

**Becoming bruising in her offensive, Sofia pounded and pummeled Piccolo as if on a mission, causing Piccolo to weigh the pros and cons of having to initiate a ki defense. A bolt of lighting grazed Sofia's right side, causing her to cry out more from the shock than pain. The distraction was long enough for Piccolo to blast a protective sphere around himself and repel her away. Sofia recovered instantly, her hands coming to her center to resemble a tai chi pose before a concentrated crimson haze coalesced around her palms and morphed into a crackling series of charges before she blasted it with a feral yell straight at Piccolo.**

**Piccolo barely suppressed his shock long enough to avoid the blast that grazed his cape and set it aflame. He hurriedly yanked the weighted shoulderpads and canopy and let it fall to the ground, while a sonic boom resounded just behind him from where her blast detonated against the ground. _Where did that attack come from?!_  Piccolo shouted mentally as he turned back to face Sofia. **

**She fluidly fell into her eerie fighting stance, her body absent of the uncontrollable shivers of before.**

**"Dammit Sofia! I don't want to fight you!" he shouted at her over the deafening crashes of thunder and the pelting deluge.**

**"Then stay still if you wish," she coldly projected and bared her fangs at him, her aura exploding around her as she blasted towards him, her hands poised to drive her crane-fisted palms into him.**

**Piccolo felt trapped, the sensation causing anger to bubble to the surface and cloud his rational mind. "I'm going to end this!" he shouted as he raised his index and middle finger to his temple, instantly charging his most deadly attack.**

**She still advanced, regardless of the pain that was shooting warnings all over her nervous system and the sharp buzzing at the back of her skull. Her arms enveloped completely into a fiery charge of ki that would've sliced cleanly through anyone or anything had Piccolo not pointed his flickering fingers at her.**

**"SPECIAL-BEAM-CANNON!" He shouted and fired his spiraling energy at her, causing Sofia to skid to a stop and force her body into a shield pose. Her left side took the brunt of his attack before she cried out and her hold faltered. She jerked quickly to the side to let the beam shoot past her, but the damage to her arm was done.**

**Piccolo thought for sure she would've met the blast with her own attack, but her reckless defense nearly skewered her left side. His attack lit up the void and flashed against the dark lighting clouds before the red and bright flashes of bolts colliding all around them took over the scene again.**

**Sofia's conscious was wavering under the brunt of pain and the weight of her sanity. She let her gashed and bloodied arm fall limp to her side while she raised the other palm face up towards him. The attack style always reminded the Namek of the ruthless Saiyan Prince, a comparison that was terrifying him to the bone, especially now. A spiral of ki came to life in her palm before firing straight at him faster than he had anticipated her attack, catching him on the side of his upper arm before he could evade the blast completely.**

**He jerked back towards her, absently clutching the wound on his arm, and spared a glare as he decided he couldn't let her make another energy attack.**

**Sofia's pendant was in a consistent crimson glow, the aura resembling a cocoon with every flash of thunder that fell from the ominously dark sky. The fractures to her radius and ulna were mending rapidly, as was the gash that lacerated her left arm. She clenched and unclenched her fist experimentally, relishing the freedom of the ki saturating her mortal coil.**

**Tilting her head as she considered Piccolo mockingly, she drawled caustically, "Lessee if I can finish this," and threw her formerly wounded arm up above her head with her palm cradled towards the sky. As if she was harnessing the pure lighting from the clouds, a coalesced sphere of molten red ki formed and expanded within her upraised palm before she was suddenly assaulted by an internal pain. The energy faltered as she threw her head back and arched from the blistering pain that shot up her spine from a series of jolting spasms that were radiating from the garnet pendant resting in the onyx banding over her chest.**

**Piccolo watched for only a second before resolving to take the chance opportunity. Blasting off in the blink of an eye, he barreled at her before spearing her and using the momentum and his muscled frame to drive her towards the misty white ground below. They both slammed in the ground hard enough to crush any other mortal's bones. Sofia roared hoarsely from having the wind crushed out of her lungs before blasting a ki field outward. The blast propelled Piccolo off of her to slam back to the floor several yards away from her.**

**Sofia pounced onto her heels and bared her fangs at him as he recovered onto his feet with a swift back flip.**

**"You _bastard_ —!" She seethed and cupped both her hands in a clear gesture of a mounting ki assault, when suddenly a bolt of lighting skirted striking her directly, but managed to blow her off her heels to crash on her back. "OOF—!NGAH!" she choked and shouted when her skin made contact with the electrically-charged ground. The jolt was equivalent to coming in contact with a live power line, instantly sending her nervous system into spasms before she could manage to get onto her knees and freeze in agonizing horror. A series of jolts emanating from the pounding reverberations of her pendant paralyzed her body and zapped white hot suffering into her cerebellum—**

**She was no longer under the torrential downpour; no thunder or lighting stormed above or around her; turning in several directions, Sofia felt the incorporeal veil she was subjugated to. Nothing but her buzzing mind existed in this plane of awareness, as the landscape began to turn into clarity and a scene emerged. Kyouran was barreling towards her as she emerged from the edge of a dense forest into the meadow where her first introduction to her own brutality occurred.**

**She was halfway into the meadow when she skidded to a stop and whirled around just as she fired a concentrated sphere of ki back into the wood. Popping and crashing sounds echoed loudly just before a wicked chuckle emanated from the shadows of the trees.**

**"Now how am I supposed to introduce myself when you're firing so tempestuously at me like that, Nisou Kyouran?" the mocking rasp began from the tree line, but became a whisper right over her shoulder.**

**Kyouran phased out just as the figure was about to strike her from behind. Reappearing to face him a few yards away, Kyouran's expression hadn't wavered, but the pulsing of her pendant was evident through the white of her gi top.**

**"I'm so glad you got rid of that bulky breastplate, Nisou Kyouran," he husked in a sinister leer. "Now I'm fortunate to appreciate your full assets."**

**"** You must be the fool everyone's going on about, **" she replied in Japanese, a clear sign she considered him inferior. "** That lowly pimp Hiretsukan should've told me you were a low-grade demon. **"**

**The figure seemed to grimace at being talked down to. "** Is that anyway to speak to your twin star… **" he growled in a submerged tone.**

**Sofia watched the scene unravel. Kyouran's expression tightened, but her eyes betrayed the most surprise.**

**"** My…twin star… **" she muttered in a disbelieving tone as she was suddenly overcome with a dormant instinct that glowed subtly within her crimson irises.**

**"** Yes… **" the obsidian gleam in his eyes revealed the intrigue he felt for her. Stepping out of the shroud of shadow of the tall tree branches that hung over his head, the figure propelled himself in a lazy phase to stand in front of her for the first time since he had surprised her on the path from the market. Her necklace was illuminating through her clothes, the static around her enticed him to tip her chin up so she could stare up into his chiseled features.**

**In that instant, Sofia was thrust into Kyouran's point of view. At first the sun's late afternoon glare flashed in her sensitive eyes before they were able to focus on Kyouran's twin star and murderer.**

**Instant recognition shot into her and chilled her to her very soul.**

**She could only feel herself scream in horror as Kyouran lashed out against her twin star, shouting violently, "** DIE! **" before unsheathing her sword in one swift motion that brought the blade to slice the figure's forearm cleanly off in a flurry of dark blood, his yell of pain and their brutal scuffle before she managed to tear away and furiously run away for the first time in her short existence.**

**Left to grip the stub that his arm ended in, the malevolent figure hissed in a breath of what was more uncontrollable rage than pain. Glaring in the direction of the village his beloved soulmate was running to, he managed to let a snarled laugh break past his clenched jaw as he saw the plume of dark smoke that rose from the distance into the slowly darkening sky.**

**He spiked his ki to his feet and took off to see if his humble gift to Kyouran would please her as much as his doting caress had.**

* * *

 

**The charred smell of wood, soil, and flesh had assaulted her the minute she took flight towards the village. There was no question in her mind that she wasn't going to reach the blossoming village she had left what felt like eons ago.**

**Phasing into the center of what was once the priestess village, Kyouran stared at the wanton devastation littered and torn around her. Fires still danced on some of the wooden structures, but much of the village was smoldering and decimated.**

**The bodies were stacked in heaps as far as she could see.**

**She walked towards the direction of the high priestess' private home, only to find it still ablaze. On the way, she had spotted the corpses of many priestesses and protective guard, the body of Nisou Murami standing out before that of Kakyo. The priestess had been left a bloody mess, with her face a pale hue that contradicted the dark red she wallowed in. Her death wasn't instant, but it was clear she hadn't even had the opportunity to fend off the attack with a defensive spell. Kakyo the True had faired differently, however. His body revealed a story to her; a scenario of a man struck instantly by the black spike embedded in his side, but who continued to fight against what looked like a small horde of tracks that hadn't delved the killing blow that had left his chest cavity torn open and his heart ruptured and charred.**

**She found High priestess Sumeragi tied to a robust beam that seemed to have been erected in the small clearing at the eastside of the village solely for her own session of torture. She hung limp in her bonds, her mouth muffled with a web-like substance that prevented her from reciting incantations. Her neck was restrained by barbed wire wrapped around it and the beam that slowly sunk into her carotid artery and over her jugular while simultaneously forcing her to watch the devastation her followers and fellow priestesses fell to. She had bled out slowly, the most prolonged death she'd ever seen.**

**A small jolt deep within her gave her a macabre sense of poetic justice to the scene. Her keeper, who had treated her like a domesticated savage spending her remaining moments tied and left to die like the very animal she'd deemed Kyouran to be.**

**The snicker escaped her lips before she could prevent it. A wave of anger overtook her, as she hissed and slashed the restraints and wire, freeing the only mother she'd ever known to crash in a heap at her feet.**

**She glanced away from the lifeless shell. That's when she saw the jewel of the mass devastation. The small child was placed on the stage-like rock perch like a lifeless porcelain doll. Kyouran hopped up and crouched over the body with the lifeless vivid green eyes that stared blankly into oblivion. She placed her palm over the small girl's eyes and closed them, her gaze falling on the silver charm bracelet around the delicate wrist of her murdered friend. Strangulation was evident as the form of death. Dark rings laced around her pale neck, her auburn hair tangled and strewn messily around her.**

**Gritting her teeth, Kyouran lifted the lifeless girl into her arms and carried her to a secluded spot in the destroyed village. Next to the shrine marking her mother's resting place, she buried little Mekareh, pushing the soil to cover the grave with her shaking hands. The rage was like acid in her veins, but she still forced herself to retrieve Kakyo's body and bury him with his family, as she thought Mekareh would've liked.**

**As for the rest of the village, she piled all the bodies on a makeshift pyre she created, burning them and letting the wind scatter the ashes into the heavy sky weighing over her head. She watched the flames lick and dance around, her necklace pulsing continuously.**

**"Doesn't seem as if you liked my gift, Nisou Kyouran."**

**In an instant she was clashing her sword against his, her irises glowing fierily up into the cool obsidian eyes that mockingly cherished her expression.**

**"Oh come now, dear, I did all of this to free you!" he sauntered as he forced her to skid back with a blow of his sword.**

**Kyouran gritted her teeth before her gaze widened in surprise at the dastardly figure across from her.**

**He caught her shocked gaze and followed it. "Oh," he raised his arm and fisted his hand before releasing the clench and wiggling his fingers at her. "I let it regenerate while I watched you have your tender moments with this ant hill you call a village." Flashing a maniacal grin before clashing their swords again in rapid combat, he slashed at her blade as he shouted, "Now let me return the favor!" and broke her sword into shattered metal before driving his sword into a tree, completely missing her as she phased to the sky above the clearing.**

**He chuckled under his breath and went after her. The intense battle waged rapidly above the ground, the whole time the figure tried to goad and entice Kyouran ineffectively.**

**Finally growing aggravated by her lack of response, the figure shouted, "Why do you INSIST on fighting me! I'm your king just as you're my queen—GAUH!" Kyouran cut his rant short with a fist driven into his abdomen and a ki blast to the face, which sent him to crash into the ground and create a sizeable crater.**

**Landing quickly to the ground, Kyouran paused, and looked over her shoulder, sensing a familiar force making its way to the village, while yet another advanced quickly upon her and her antagonist.**

**"** NISOU KYOURAN! **" She turned calmly to meet the incensed figure, who leapt from the shallow crater, scraped and enraged into fervent cursing. "** Where's that ravaging beauty I saw go wild?! Don't you see you're attacking your equal in birth and power?! We could rule this puny cosmos together, dammit! You belong to me, and I won't let you make a fool out of me with your impetuousness! **" He spoke in a feverishly angered pace, his aura emanating all around him.**

**"** You are in no way equal to me. A subversive rodent like you has no bond to me. I reject you, and your pimp Hiretsukan's so called destiny. **"**

**"** So be it. **" The figure growled as reply, and in an instant he attacked her with a frenzied combo, which she furtively blocked. This only enraged the figure, so he tried to claw at her face, but she dodge just in time. All of a sudden, the figure pulled back with something in his hand. Kyouran put her left hand on her throat, realizing that he had grabbed something when she had dodged his attack. The figure sneered at her and threw what he had grabbed by her feet. She looked down, and saw her pendant and necklace in the dust. She narrowed her eyes and snarled at him. He was smirking, but the faked severity and sadness in his voice dissipated on the two last words, which he said with malice. "** My naïve beauty. If you only knew how true our destinies are connected, you'd have accepted your place next to me in our future empire. But alas, I will have to save my affections for the distant future instead…my twin star. **"**

**Then in an instant, he appeared in front of Kyouran. Before she could react, he pulled back and rammed his clawed hand through her chest and out the other side, leaving his arm embedded up to the elbow in her chest. Kyouran gasped and choked a shout, coughing up blood into the air and to run down the corner of her mouth before she grabbed at the figures shirt in a throw of rage and incredulous pain. Blood began to stain her lips as she gasped and wheezed for air in her choking lungs. His cold obsidian gaze stared hoodedly into her slowly glazing stare before he lowered his sickening lips over hers. Licking the blood from her lips, he watched as her gaze glazed over and her expression grew blank. The tension went totally out of her body, and she fell limp in his grip.**

**"What a fucking pity…" he ground between clenched lips as he pulled his arm free from her chest and let her lifeless body fall to the ground. He turned his back on the lifeless woman, and bowed his head in what looked like agitated disappointment as a pool of crimson began to stain the soil all around her. Huffing, he growled under his breath, "Here I am alone, a Daimaou without his Daimajoou."**

**Turning around for one more cursory stare at his lifeless twin star, Piccolo Daimaou licked his lips, tasting the lingering flavor of her potent life's essence as he ran his palm over his brow ridges and swept his antennae back, causing them to bob back into place. He crouched down beside Kyouran, running his taloned fingers into her damp and bloody hair as he leaned in for one more taste of her—**

**Piccolo's face came into stark focus as he loomed over her, calling her name and trying to shake her back into reality. Sofia wretched up and out of his grasp, screaming in terror and horror from the utterly maddening revelation of her visions into the past and truth.**

**"YOU! IT'S BEEN YOU THE WHOLE TIME!" she skidded away from him like an injured animal, staring at him with horror, disgust and trepidation. " _The whole time!_ " she shrieked, incensed, fisting her hands into her mussed hair, gripping at her scalp as she shook her head in a state of mania, as if she could erase the truth and the visions from her mind.**

**Piccolo stood abruptly, shock and confusion etched around his tense eyes. "What are you talking about?! Sofia, for the love of Kami just stop—" he was cut off when she shrieked a bloodcurdling cry of rage at him before propelling herself into her fighting stance and attacking him with full force. Her aura and the rain whipped all around them as her fury began to boil over, making it very difficult for Piccolo to fend off her flurry of attacks.**

**"YOU KILLED HER! NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO FINISH IT WITH ME!" She raged savagely at him as she laced her ki to brace around her knuckles in a telekinetic set of brass knuckles, slashing at his skin and licking against his own intensifying aura.**

**"Killed who?! Who the hell are you TALKING ABOUT!?" he finally snapped, trying not to fight back but grappling her hard enough to blast her away from him to skid along the slick and puddled ground. As she slid, Sofia cupped her hands and charged a flash of ki to spiral towards Piccolo, one which he quickly avoided by phasing out and reappearing behind her. Wrapping his arm around her neck while hoisting her against his chest, he tried to subdue her as best to his ability, but her aura was burning and blistering his skin. As he wrenched her wrists in his other hand and pinned them against her chest, he growled, "Don't make me knock you out, Sofia! Now tell me what the hell is going on with you!"**

**Arching away from him, she inwardly let her energy build until she released it outward as she shouted, "Your fucking sire KILLED me—! You KILLED KYOURAN!"**

**Piccolo was repelled from his hold around her neck, allowing her to whirl on him and try and duplicate her former explosive attack, raising her hand over her head to collect a solid sphere of concentrated ki in her open palm. "SOFIA! JUST TALK TO ME—!" he tried to shout over the commotion of their environment and the surge of her power up. However, he went practically deaf as the dark sky over them opened up to drop a robust bolt of lighting to crash against Sofia's mounting ki sphere, setting off a thunderous explosion and boom that brightened the void into a blinding white flare and sent both of them to crash respectively away from each other.**

**As soon as the ringing in his eardrums ceased, Piccolo heard her piercing screams. His stomach dropped and every fiber of his being rushed as fast as his injured body could get him to her. She was half a football field distance away, arching off the floor and wrenching uncontrollably in pain, the puddles around her still rippling from the boom that was rising to the zenith of the void. The rain had ceased as if it had never fallen, the sky clearing to the usual stark white it was characteristic for.**

**When he made it to her, he almost visibly cringed at her battered condition. The blast had left a dark bruise over the left side of her ribcage that was slowly bleeding through her shirt. From how she cradled her right leg as well as the telltale bruises that spotted all over the front of her leg, it was clear that she had shattered her fibula.**

**"Dammit Sofia…" Piccolo whispered gruffly, but his tone was that of despondent worry over her. When she didn't reply and just tried to curl into a ball, he decided he wasn't going to watch her suffer. As he placed his arms under her legs and around her back, she freaked and flinched away from him, only causing the bloodstain on her shirt to darken and grow. "Don't move! You've broken ribs and your fibula's shattered. The less you move the less you can make it worse—" he paused his chiding admonishment when Sofia stared wildly up into his eyes. Her gaze was fiercely pained, revealing betrayal, mistrust, and a deeply haunted terror. He knew it was all aimed at him, for whatever part he could've played in her internal chaos and break. "Sofia…"**

**"You— _don't know_ , do you…?!" she whispered harshly, her gaze trembling, on the brink of having another blow to her psyche. Piccolo stared back in stunned silence, his eyes softening in a way that was enough of an answer to her. "This necklace was mine—it was Kyouran's, my past life…" she paused her whisper when he started rushing them back to the archway of her room, which seemed like miles away to her. She didn't look into his gaze; she couldn't stand to. "The only reason I exist is because she died. It's all in my head…!" she clenched her eyes, and all Piccolo could do was stare down at her and feel the bottom drop out of him. **

**"…How could you not know what you did to me...?" she finally forced out just as they reached the palace, completely shocking Piccolo.**

**"I told you, I don't know what you're talking about!" he stated roughly, his patience and internal fortitude weighing with the frustration and chaos from just a few moments before.**

**They entered through the archway just as Sofia stared up at him again, but her gaze was purely judging and skeptical of him. "Your sire killed me—he killed Kyouran!" she shouted at him, causing him to stiffen and stare aghast down at her. "I'm Kyouran's reincarnation…YOU are Piccolo Daimaou's reincarnation, so how could you not know what your sire did to my past self!?" she shouted in agitation, her eyes and her body trembling in his arms. "How do you expect me to believe you didn't know who I was and that you're not trying to finish what your father started and succeeded at!?"**

**Piccolo didn't know what he felt towards her accusations. He just stared at her as if she was insane. "I have no memory of that, and I'd have inherited my sire's memories if it had happen—!"**

**Sofia slapped him with every morsel of energy left in her battered body, her expression betrayed and painfully appalled at his response. Piccolo's eyes widened as her just slap sunk in. Everything in his heart told him she was telling the truth, but no molecule in his body held any record of such a thing.**

**"You _bastard,_ " she seethed at him, her face constricted from the pain of her body slowly mending her wounded side and leg. Piccolo stared intensely down at her, conflict etched in his expression and flashing in his onyx eyes. Those eyes…she knew them so well. She'd felt sheltered and even warmed by them once, but now she saw them as the sources of her devastating betrayal. "Put me down…Just put me down!" she demanded, her voice faltering with every emotion welling in her coming up in her throat. **

**Wordlessly, he took her to her bed and placed her on it. The way he was looking at her was making it hard for her to keep her exhausted emotions in check.**

**"I don't have any memory of what you told me." S _omething really doesn't want me to know what's going on…_ ran through his mind for the second time, reminding him of the time he had hit the mental blockade that had guarded him out of whatever memories were held in that recess of his mind. Realizing something, Piccolo turned away from Sofia and placed his hands on both sides of his head, running them down to his neck as he bowled his head and cursed under his breath.  _Could it be?! Could they have…!_**

**Sofia watched him, and felt the hollowness of before begin to corrode her again. She could never trust him again. The correction her mind made was that she should have never trusted him.**

**"As soon as you heal your wounds completely, you are to pack up and prepare to leave. We're leaving the chamber and you're returning to your world," he suddenly stated without even addressing her with a glance.**

**"…what?!" Sofia snapped, suddenly sitting up much too fast for her body to have compensated the sharp flash of pain from her side. "You're not getting rid of me without explaining what the hell you did—!"**

**" _I_ didn't do  _anything to you_! Before you accuse me of something I don't even have a memory of, why don't you take up your grievance with that sunovabitch Kami!?" he railed finally, whirling around and shouting at her, striking out over all the turmoil and the lack of knowledge or action towards the entire matter.**

**"Because it was YOUR BASTARD OF A FATHER who's responsible for what's going on! He not only killed Kyouran, but set it up for you to take his place—!"**

**"Daimaou is _not_  my father," he growled, "and I know NOTHING about any of the shit you keep accusing me of! So the sooner you get the hell out of here and let me figure this all out, the better it will be for the BOTH of us!" **

**"FUCK YOU!" Sofia vehemently railed back at him, earning only a deep glower from him before he turned and stalked to the door. "Don't you DARE run away from me again, you chicken shit coward!" she shouted.**

**Piccolo snapped back around and set her in his cold glare. "This from the one who ran away and threw a fucking temper tantrum for so long out in the void that she manipulated the environment just like she manipulates everything else in life!? You nearly got yourself killed! Get yourself under control already!" he raged intensely before continuing to stalk out into the next room.**

**Sofia gritted her teeth in exasperation, clawing her way to the end of the bed and shouting a curse at him. "Goddammit Piccolo, you fucking asshole!" she shouted as she propelled herself off the bed and tried to rush to the doorway, but the pulsing of her pendant caught her by surprise for the first time since the ordeal of earlier.**

**Piccolo turned and gave her a sidelong glance as she gripped the pendant and struggled to stand and walk without looking pained. "The subject is closed until you start listening to me!" he hollered at her, earning him a glare and a glower. Huffing, he turned to head toward the time chamber's door, when he heard the rushed padding of her feet going towards the threshold of both rooms.**

**"Piccolo _—_ get BACK here!" Sofia yelled just as she began to pass through the threshold between her reality and his.**

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH_!"

**Whirling around at her bloodcurdling scream, Piccolo watched as Sofia's pendant sent crackling jolts of static all over her body before reaching a critical point of pain when suddenly the garnet stone cracked and exploded into hundreds of jagged shards before embedding themselves in her skin. The onyx necklace and banding shattered as they hit the floor while Sofia screamed and writhed in excruciating pain. Piccolo rushed to her, but stopped himself before touching her when he watched as the shards began to sink into her skin, as if the stone was assimilating into her very body.**

**Sofia fell to her knees writhing and screaming before she began to convulse and contort in all directions. Piccolo yelled in shock, and tried to restrain her from hurting herself.** _"DON'T TOUCH ME!"_ **she suddenly shrieked as an invisible burst forced Piccolo back to slam against the wall before hitting the tiled floor with a loud thud and shout of pain.**

**Energy was radiating off of her, so much so that it kept him at bay from being able to aid her. He could only watch as Sofia continued to convulse and writhe as if in the throes of death before the violent movements ceased into struggling and eventually dulled into tremors.**

**Piccolo screamed her name. Sofia could've sworn she heard someone calling her name, but she couldn't feel him shaking her in his arms, nor see his panicked face shouting over her. Awareness was disappearing, and the stray thought of dying glimmered in her mind, but, something within her was awakening and all she knew was that it had told her she wasn't dying.**

**Blackness was like a blanket around her; not suffocating, but similar to soothing peace. Then, nothing…**


	17. Anchored Touch

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_**

**Nothing lasted for what felt like days, and provided her with a glorious sense of well being and peace. She never knew how soothing being free of one's awareness could be, so when she began to feel like she was returning into herself, Sofia harbored a minute sense of disappointment and longing for her restful oblivion. She found herself opening her eyes to darkness, but instead of wondering where she was, she intuitively knew it was the unconsciousness that lied within her.**

**The soothing quiet began to dull as her senses sharpened and clarity was once part of her. She stared calmly around, the feeling of expectation surging as a breeze that seemed to lick her incorporeal skin. Then, a shape of white began to appear from the darkness, and grow as it neared her. Slowly, the white spectral form began to take the shape of a figure she'd live through and once was.**

**Looming across from her— a sheer white aura enveloping her— was Kyouran, the woman she had once been. Her crimson eyes squinted from the closed-lipped smile she gave her counterpart, the shock that registered on her features a source of quiet amusement for the once intimidating demon slayer. As she drew nearer, the aura began to dissipate into an afterglow that dimmed behind her before disappearing completely. Tilting her head skeptically, Kyouran cracked a smile, the echo of her chuckle stirring Sofia from her slack-jawed expression.**

**"I understand the last thing you expected was me, but am I that much of a shock?" the woman clad in white gi remarked, her voice velvety, but with an earthy tone her dreams never truly revealed.**

**"I—well…" Sofia stuttered, her eyes focusing on the woman with all her will. "Are you what Nail is to Piccolo…? Why are you here? I don't understand—"**

**"All that in good time. First, I must say…" the other woman stated unflinchingly, her arms crossing as she widened her stance. "It sure took you long enough to break that pendant."**

**Furrowing her brow in confusion, Sofia stepped closer. "What are you talking about…?"**

**Sighing, Kyouran shook her head, her humor still present in her relaxed frame. "What do you think those dreams were intended for? I didn't want you to just _know_  about me," she paused leaning close as if to compound her next point. "In order for you to have become transformed, you needed to go through a metamorphosis. Passing through the dimensional threshold was only one way, and one that takes too long."**

**Her eyes widened at that, stirring the inquisition within her to bubble up. "Then you manipulated your memories…to tell me a story; reveal a plot that you only knew in hindsight," Sofia whispered, earning a curt nod from her mirror image. "But then…what broke within the pendant?"**

**"That pendant is what ties you and I together. It's only a string. Nothing broke in the pendant…something broke out," Kyouran replied, her tone unwavering, but still forcing Sofia to find the answer for herself.**

**"…the truth. The past. And my…" Sofia trailed off, her eyes dimming in thought, not wanting to finish her stream of consciousness.**

**"Your future," Kyouran finished for her, her red eyes transfixing Sofia in her searing gaze. "One where I cease to be and become what is you. Everything that was me was held prisoner in that pendant. Inevitably, it would've broken out, and I would've been freed, but _he_ was the only person that could free me, or end me…"**

**"Daimaou…" Sofia felt the lump of anger swell in her chest. "That bastard—"**

**"Hah, was he really?" Sofia's gaze sharpened with incredulity. "The truth is, he and I were destined to tear each other apart. Whatever Hiretsukan saw as the future was only one string, just a path out of a million. The future is not predestined; Daimaou was a fool, and I was just the means to the real end…" Kyouran remarked, her eyes lowering in amusement as her hands came to rest on Sofia's shoulders. "You can't hold the past accountable. Live in the present from now on. The past only predicates the good and the bad you have to work with, not the choices you make or the future you create."**

**"Then if that's the case, why the hell show me the past to begin with?!" Sofia retorted, her eyes meeting Kyouran defiantly.**

**Smirking, Kyouran replied matter-of-factly, "Because what cut the string that binds you and I as separate entities was cut by the truth, and the rage that I submerged and the rage you freely expressed. Without knowing my past you couldn't be freed of it."**

**"Well…then what happens now…?"**

**"I fade into you. What was me becomes you, and you live on. And no, it won't be like what Piccolo and Nail have. I won't be present for you to call on for guidance. Instead, all you need do is look inside yourself, and whatever answers you need will be there," Kyouran answered patiently, her serene nature disarming Sofia.**

**Standing in the presence of her past self, Sofia reflected on the past few months, piecing together answers to questions that had been left to loom in the back of her mind. It was now obvious to her that the nagging figure in her reflection back at her room had been Kyouran shining through, leading her down the rabbit hole that was now her reality. If the necklace was the string that bound them, then it was an innate destiny that caused her to find it in her backyard, let alone for it to have been there to begin with.**

**"Oh…so that ritual Daimaou had done spirited away the pendant and jewelry box away for me to find?"**

**"Yes. The incantation called for the box to find his twin star once she was reincarnated…only by then, he was no longer your twin star…" Kyouran trailed off knowingly.**

**"Piccolo…" Sofia's heart leapt in her throat, her chest constricting on the thought of him. She ached over the horrible things she'd said to him, her resolve wavering in front of Kyouran, who shook her softly by the shoulders.**

**"None of that. Once we're done here, you can go back and apologize. You won't have to, however," Sofia raised her brow skeptically. "Just because Kami-sama and Daimaou hold fault in him being utterly clueless, doesn't get him off the hook."**

**"What do you mean?" Sofia's head was spinning, her patience and ability to piece things together while being coached by her past life waning.**

**"After I was killed, Daimaou and Hiretsukan went onto some other plan. Whatever it was made Daimaou think he didn't need any help from that pimp Iyashii, so he disposed of him and went on to plot by himself. Kami decided on some drastic measure, and after taking some preventive measures, he wiped his own memory of the little saga, and since he and Daimaou are the halves of the same being, Daimaou lost all memory of Hiretsukan, me, and the twin star business…" Kyouran trailed off as she walked off to the side, as if her own recollections were rough to access.**

**"That's why Piccolo doesn't know what Daimaou did…" Sofia realized as she began to hug herself absentmindedly. She had accused him of so much evil, and he had been the most innocent party.**

**"Yes. But Kami also went through the lengths of blocking out that part of Piccolo's consciousness, once you came into the picture, of course. Just in case he went looking for memories, or chasing ghosts," she paused. "I'm sure Piccolo is aware of that block, but hasn't put much together on the fact. Once you return to the surface, you can unlock it for him, if you choose so…"**

**"God, stop talking in riddles! Finish a statement and stop trailing off! I feel like I'm in the Lord of the Rings or something!" Sofia chided sardonically, earning Kyouran to whirl around with her brows raised at her.**

**"Well, if you don't like my answers, don't ask such asinine questions!" Kyouran barked back at her, her demureness frizzing as she bared her fangs in an exasperated sneer.**

**Snickering, Sofia raised her hands up in defense, shrugging her shoulders in acquiescence. "But I still have to ask some stuff…" Waving her hand in impatience, Kyouran gestured for her to go ahead. "How did he…you know. Get his faucet and plumbing?"**

**Rolling her eyes, Kyouran crossed her arms and huffed. "It's simple biology. Namekkuseijin are asexual beings. That means that because they lack the presence of females, the males regressed to asexuality in order to continue reproducing. When a Namekkuseijin is thrust into an environment for an extended period of time with a member of the female sex, it inherently causes the Namekkuseijin to regain his sexuality, or get the "faucet and plumbing", as you so crudely put it. However, the process cannot be effected by that alone. You had to cancel out his internal self-reproductive glands in order to effect the complete transformation."**

**"So then, when I sleep-walked-jumped his bones, I closed up the spot in his throat where the Namek eggs come from? Cool…" Sofia surmised out loud, which sparked yet another question. "Wait! Did you have something to do with that sex dream? Cuz I know it wasn't an actual past experience! And me jumping Piccolo like that was you too?!"**

**Scowling at the barrage of questions, Kyouran drummed her fingers on her bicep as she replied, "That dream was an actual occurrence for me, when I would go into my cycles of heat every few months. Since Daimaou was my twin star, I guess it was only fitting that he'd be my nocturnal lover…and yes, I played that dream while you slept in order to speed the transformation process between you and Piccolo. The more tension created, the more you'd change."**

**"So that's why you'd make your pilgrimages into the mountains..!" Sofia surmised.**

**Nodding curtly, Kyouran almost floated towards her. "You and Daimaou's kin are joined, with no strings holding you back but yourselves. Your own choices will influence your path now; don't worry about any other intrusions."**

**Nodding, Sofia stared off into the darkness, realizing she couldn't remain there for much longer. "Oh!"**

**Shaking her head, Kyouran grumbled, "What is it now?"**

**"If Piccolo's completely male now, then he can reproduce sexually…"**

**"Of course, so?" Kyouran barked, but when Sofia gave her a meek expression, she realized what she was getting at. "Oh, that. Yes, he can impregnate you. No, it won't be with an egg. If you do get impregnated, you will birth the spawn just as any other mammal. Lactation and such will be present as in human mothers, but the length of pregnancy will be much shorter, and since your mate is a Namekkuseijin you can expect to give birth in about half the time of a human mother, maybe even sooner than that."**

**"So…is there any birth control tips? Cuz I don't think Piccolo and I should be having babies…if he even touches me ever again," she laughed nervously, earning a startled glance from Kyouran.**

**"You really _are_  in lust with the Namekkuseijin! Hah," she stated sardonically, adding aloofly, "well, do not worry about becoming impregnated. Once you surface, that will be taken care of. While in life, I affixed a high concentration of internal ki flow to act as a sort of inhibitor for the production of hormones responsible for making a woman fertile. This doesn't mean I was infertile, however. Just that I had a fool-proof organic birth control system that would never run out or fail, except…"**

**"Except what?" Sofia asked, riveted by the explanation.**

**"Well, once you choose to become fertile, the ki flow will dissipate and the inhibition of the hormones will cease, allowing you to be fertile. So, you must be steadfast in your decision. The minute you decide to want to be with-child, you will deactivate the birth control system," Kyouran finished with a surly huff.**

**"Wow…"**

**"Yes, so make sure you know what you want."**

**"Oh, I damn will."**

**Long pause.**

**"So is that it?" Sofia piped up, her hands rubbing her arms absentmindedly.**

**"I was waiting for another barrage of questions. Otherwise, yes, that's it."**

**"Wow…this is it…I won't see you ever again?" she asked, receiving an affirmative nod. "Then what do I do now?"**

**"You wake up." Kyouran stated as she walked towards her and passed completely through her before disappearing completely into the incorporeal ether to assimilate into Sofia.**

**Sofia's "Oh" was drowned out by the rush of awareness that rushed over her and propelled her up into the waning darkness before blinding light shattered the safety of unconsciousness…**

* * *

 

**Her eyes flew open, and immediately shut from the blinding light that seared her pupils. Limbs still heavy with drowsiness, Sofia laid still for several moments as she tried to regain her bearings, her skin feeling hotter than hell against the cool fabric under her. Was she lying on a bed? It felt wonderful whatever it was, but most of all, the scent that clung to the fabric was soothing and familiar, lulling her into comfort as she experimented with opening her eyes to the harsh light again.**

**Slowly blinking, she was able to open her eyes into slits to see the domed ceiling looming above her, another familiar sight that relaxed her. So…she was back.**

**Her arms were working now, so she brought one to lie across her stomach and draped the other over her forehead.**

**Did everything have to be different now?**

**She knew it was a futile question, when even the pit of her stomach berated her for wanting to cling to the past.**

**The bed shifted, startling her.**

**Looking over her arm and shielding the light from her eyes, she glanced to the side and stopped breathing momentarily. Shifting carefully, she sat up in bed and stared at Piccolo's sleeping countenance. Propped up against the bed's headboard with his head lulled to the side, Piccolo slept with his arms crossed tightly over his chest; the light sound of his breathing the only other thing in the room. He looked handsome as ever, except strain tugged around the corners of his closed eyes, and his brow was furrowed in a way she could only classify as…worry?**

**How long had she been unconscious? The last thing she remembered was screaming at him, and rushing forward. Then the agonizing pain that sunk into her like thousands of needles all at once. Her mind was a jumbled mess of sequences and emotions, but the only one that nagged her longest was his expression when she told him about Daimaou. The guilt from before resurfaced, and so did the constrictive feeling in her chest. Had he watched over her this whole time?**

**Stupid question, she mused, considering he was fast asleep for the first time in weeks and his whole body was taut with tension. Her heart tugged as she stared at him.**

**She didn't want him to know. The memories were so brutal and dark, and if she was the only one to bear them, so be it. She didn't want Piccolo to have another weight added over his conscience. And if he had to find out…well she wouldn't be the one to decide that for him.**

**He meant too much to her for her to hurt.**

**Snapping her head up in realization, Sofia dropped her hands into her lap. He meant the world to her…and not in the insatiable fangirl way from before. Sure she had the butterflies when she was around him, but that was synonymous to crushing on someone. But this…this was more than she'd ever recognized possible…and was it still possible?**

**Looking back at Piccolo, she felt the swell of hope rise from the pit of her stomach.**

**She stretched out towards him, making sure not to stir him into awareness. Leaning forward, Sofia brushed a soft kiss over his brow, murmuring something just under her breath before gingerly getting off the bed and shakily making it to the bathroom.**

**The click of the door was what definitely woke him.**

**Flinching up in the bed, Piccolo rubbed at his tired face, his mind trying to churn against the exhaustion of the past 2 days to reconcile if he was hallucinating. He could've sworn he heard her.**

**"'I'm sorry'?" he repeated to himself, dropping his hands to the bed before startling at the empty spot next to him. _She's awake?!_**

**He jumped off the bed and ran for the bathroom, his heart beating against his ribcage as he stood in front of the door, his body tensing before he could muster the resolve to slide the panel door open.**

**Meanwhile, Sofia stood incredulous from the reflection that stared back at her in the mirror. It was Kyouran…at least that's what her irrational self was telling her. Those red eyes were definitely an inheritance from her former self, but it was pretty much still all her, except much taller! At least she surmised from the level of the sink being parallel to her hip, when it was just above her waist the last time, she remembered.**

**This was it; her final state as an evolved being.**

**She touched her cheekbone, still shocked it was her at all, before she glanced down to her flowy white nightgown. Piccolo must've changed her out of the tattered and singed mess she had on from before. Sighing, she rubbed her arms, not used to the flesh she inhabited, even though she was _sure_  it was the only thing that hadn't radically changed. **

**Exhaling her tension, Sofia closed her eyes, mustering her resolve. This drastic change made her worry…but as Kyouran said, she held her own fate, and no one was taking that away from her.**

**She opened the door, and effectively surprised Piccolo and herself, as they came face-to-face.**

**Piccolo's hand fell to his side when the shock of the door opening of its own volition wore off, leaving him to gaze at the transformed woman standing before him.**

**Her eyes captivated him first, the emotion and essence he'd always seen in them still there, but dyed in a different hue now. And she was tall, with the top of her head coming up to his chin now when she had been barely up to his collarbone before. She was a transformed being, just like Kami had said she'd become. Before he realized his own action, Piccolo found himself gingerly caressing her warm cheek with his fingertips and the pad of his thumb, as if trying to make sure she was real and unharmed.**

**Sofia didn't flinch, but her body tensed ever so slightly, her eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion.**

**"You're alright…" his baritone mutter suppressed the relief deep in his tone.**

**Exhaling a small breath, Sofia leant into his fingers, her eyes closing as relief flooded into her as well. "Yes…"**

**"You scared the hell out of me."**

**Incredulous, Sofia focused her new gaze at him, meeting his earnestly serious eyes. She couldn't repress the small smile of tenderness his revelation stirred in her, so she nuzzled her lips against the palm of his hand before he pulled her against his chest and sighed into the top of her hair.**

**"Don't do it again."**

**Relishing his unprompted embrace, Sofia burrowed her nose into his firm chest as she nodded in amused compliance.**

**"Now…if there's nothing else, let's get going," Piccolo remarked as he detached himself from her and turned to walk towards the steps out into the void.**

**Blinking, Sofia piped, "Get going?"**

**Glancing back at her, Piccolo barked reticently, "To train, what else?"**

**Crossing her arms, she stared incredulously at his retreating back before huffing in amusement and shaking her head. _Of course_ …**

* * *

 

**Several days went by without much tension or verbal combativeness, which were normal practice before Sofia's change. For the first time in months, both were comfortable around each other, enjoying the presence of the other in their down time, fiercely competing in their sparring sessions, and relishing the comfortable silences with each other.**

**For Sofia, much of the time was spent trying to grow used to her new form, especially the new eyes she gazed out into the still blinding void with. Piccolo, on the other hand, found himself staring at her when she was preoccupied with the drudgery of their off time, or when she was just immersed in her own thoughts, distracted from the presence of his gaze on her.**

**He often caught himself thinking back on the tension and worry of those two days she was unconscious, when his mind was a tangle of emotions and his insides were knotted with concern. Nail had driven him crazy, demanding that he get help from Kami; that they exit the void immediately. Piccolo had stood his ground against the barrage from his counterpart, rationalizing that there wasn't anything the old goat could've done, and that it was simply a waiting game for her to regain consciousness. He didn't remember when he'd passed out from exhaustion, but he did remember the anxiety his unconscious had been inundated with. The distress of his dreams had been soothed into silence by her, however, something he thought to be silly and sentimental…but even so, he had felt the relief wash over him with the sound of her soft whisper, and had fortified that relief by touching and embracing her.**

**Piccolo knew it was no use lying anymore.**

**While Gohan had wormed his way into his heart, Sofia had blasted the doors open. It was probably why he'd resisted it for so long, but now it was all he could do to not stare at her and want more of something he couldn't really visualize or comprehend completely. He'd kept Nail out of the loop, and planned to for as long as he could get away with it. It wasn't going to serve anything— except the other Namek's ego— for his feelings to be revealed now. They had entered the chamber for a reason, and it wasn't romantic in the least.**

**He intended to keep it that way.**

**"Piccolo! Wanna have one more spar before we call it a day?" Sofia called out to him from where she was finishing up a round of kata practice.**

**Opening his eyes, Piccolo smirked as he stood from his meditative pose, cracking his back and popping his shoulders as he remarked coolly, "Fine by me, but I doubt either one of us will end up on top."**

**Stifling her giggles at his unknown use of a double entendre, Sofia stretched her arms over her head, causing the hem of her tank top to ride up her now totally lithe stomach.**

**Piccolo had become more practiced in silently appreciating Sofia's form, more so than he'd like to admit.**

**They met each other halfway before falling into their individual stances. An eerie breeze floated between them, stirring Piccolo's cape as well as Sofia's hair to whip around her slightly. Sizing each other up, both stood fixed on the ready, waiting for the other to make the move.**

**The surge of her phasing out and driving a fist against his block was quickly followed by the succession of combos and blocks that sent them skidding and flying all around the void, their grunts and battle shouts echoing in comfortable rhythm with the sound of their blows and their scintillating auras.**

**They were definitely evenly matched, and both knew it. Rather than resent it as he would've before, Piccolo felt a twinge of pride that he'd sculpted her into the fighter she was. And, rather than feel that nagging urge to one up him, Sofia was humbled by her ability to keep up with one of the most disciplined warriors to ever exist. However, this didn't mean they didn't want to beat the other, especially after months of stalemates. With that in mind, both slowly began escalating their attack combos, incorporating ki attacks and maneuvers to beat and impress the other at the same time.**

**After a flurry of kicks that just missed their target each time, Sofia gritted her teeth in a tense smirk before scandalously taunting, "You're not as fast as you used to be, sensei. How 'bout winner gets a kiss from the loser, eh?"**

**Snorting, Piccolo caught her ankle and used her momentum to swing her into the air before tossing her up, leading her to counter and flip in the air to land in a cat-like crouch. "I'd rather savor your expression when I wipe the floor with you," he retorted roughly, but his tone was deep and rugged, a fact Sofia couldn't linger on as he advanced at her with another flurry of attacks, which she managed to dodge or phase out of just in time.**

**"Well fine, but if I win I want a kiss, with no pouting or scowling! Hahaha," she quipped effervescently, countering his punch with a barrage of swift kicks and palm hits to his side before spinning out of the way of his retaliation.**

**"Not a chance!" Piccolo shouted before aiming a blow that went through air, causing him to slightly spin on his heel. _Damn she's gotten fast!_**

**The kick connected against the small of his back, bringing him back on the defense as she whirled around in effortless spin kicks, roundhouses, and flurries of kicks he could barely dodge.**

**Collecting a burst of ki, Piccolo used it to blast outwards into a sphere that pushed her skidding back. The sudden defensive attack knocked the wind out of her, allowing Piccolo to charge up a flaring attack he knew was weak enough for her to avoid. He hadn't expected for her to still be shaking off the dizziness his defensive blast had given her, nor did he notice she was charging up her own attack when she turned and barely jerked her body out of the way of the blast. Her energy blast misfired towards him, the energy flow unchecked and unstable. Piccolo shouted a curse before the sonic booms of their attacks roared and blew them back.**

**"Ah!" Sofia cried out, shielding her eyes with her forearm after recovering from the blistering blasts and booms that echoed around her. Getting to her feet, she staggered before falling hard on her butt. Biting her lip, she squeezed her eyes shut, the searing pain in her retinas shooting along her nerve endings and stinging her ocular tissue.**

**"Sofia! What happened?" she heard Piccolo say above her, but she couldn't open her eyes.**

**"Ugh…my eyes are burning," she ground out between hisses of pain, her eyes still squeezed protectively shut while she swept the water running down her cheeks. "They're still too sensitive—the energy was too bright."**

**Frowning, Piccolo crouched down by her. "You can't open them at all?"**

**"No…not yet. I think my retinas have abrasions or something…they really hurt!" she gritted, her hand resting over her eyelids as the other reached out for him, accurately landing on his torn and damaged shoulder pad on the first try.**

**"Can you stand and make it back to the palace?" he was close enough that she could feel his warm breath against her temple.**

**"Yeah…just give me a second to get my bearings…I'm trying to get a handle on seeing with ki sensing," she said slowly, her brow furrowing.**

**"Feh," she heard him huff before she was suddenly swept up into his arms and hauled up from the floor. Wrapping her arms around his shoulder and neck, she stiffened as she tried to face where she thought his face was.**

**"What're you doing? All I needed was a second—"**

**"Why bother when I can just carry you. Don't feel like watching you stagger like a blind bat," he grunted and she was surprised by how close his mouth must've been to her jawline.**

**"All bats are blind, Piccolo," she snickered, and felt him begin to walk back to the palace with his long strides.**

**"Don't get technical with me," he grumbled, but she could hear an amused edge in his tone. "How long will it take you to recover?"**

**"I'm not sure. I can feel them healing…so hopefully not too long," she mused, relaxing in his arms.**

**He hummed in response, the vibration in his chest a soothing feeling against her side. She was shifting slightly from side to side now, so she assumed he was climbing the stairs that led up into the main room from the void's tiled stoop. Her assumption was rewarded when he gently placed her onto the plush bed, her weight sinking into the cool satiny comforter. She heard the soft padding of his moccasins walk to her left and into the bathroom before the sink burst to life and was quickly shut. Water sprinkled into the sink before the sound of a cloth being snapped echoed in the room. Then his padding moccasin again before her chin was tilted up gently but firmly by his fingers.**

**"Here. Rest this over your eyes." The cool cloth was pressed gingerly over her eyelids for her before her fingers brushed his when she went to hold the cloth in place.**

**"Thanks," she breathed with a soft smile, receiving a grunt in response. A small silence passed between them after he walked a ways to the wall, where she assumed he was leaning back against it and watching her. "Are you ok?"**

**"Just a few scrapes. My weights and gi took the worst of it."**

**Humming, she kicked her boots off before shimmying back on the mattress, her eyes feeling much better the more she relaxed.**

**"How do I look?" she asked, earning a snort from him. "Shit, that bad, huh? I probably look like a hot mess…"**

**"You look tousled, but good."**

**Both realized his backhanded compliment, and a tense pause passed between them before she inadvertently sighed.**

**"…What," Piccolo asked, sounding a bit gruff and ruffled.**

**"Nothing…just thinking…"**

**"That's dangerous."**

**Gasping a laugh, she wadded up the cloth and threw it at him. "You jerk! What're you trying to say," she laughed, sitting up and directing a closed-eyed mocking pout at him.**

**He snorted, tossing the cloth back at her to land on her lap. "I'm saying that when you think, I end up screwed," he mused aloofly, but she heard the smirk in his tone.**

**"Oh c'mon, you exaggerate," she said trying to repress her grin, and only earned another snort from him.**

**"You can't even keep a straight face," she heard his voice move to her right. "Can you track me?" she was startled when his voice rumbled over her shoulder.**

**"Not really…it sucks! Neither of us ever wins!" she abruptly changed the subject.**

**He grunted. "Yeah…I'm starting to think we might have to focus on our own training. This whole thing is starting to feel like a waste…"**

**Sofia inwardly frowned, not thinking spending time with him was a waste at all.**

**"Can you try opening your eyes now?" he said from across from her.**

**Her eyes fluttered laboriously before opening to slits. Blurry vision gave way to watery shapes and a slight sting. She gritted her teeth, but the more she blinked the better her vision got. Wiping her eyes, she gingerly opened them as wide as she could. The light settled to a bearable brightness in her eyes before she could truly see straight.**

**The first thing she saw was Piccolo, and a peel of giggles burst from her.**

**Scowling deeper than he had been, Piccolo crossed his arms and barked, "What's so funny?"**

**She continued to giggle, shaking her head as she gestured with her finger for him to come closer. Warily, Piccolo did so, his shoulders stiff and his lips tight as she sat up on her knees and reached for his turban.**

**"You look so cute with an antenna poking out of your turban, Mr. Piccolo," she giggled at him as she poked her finger through the hole on the top of his turban, wiggling the appendage comically at him.**

**Wrinkling his nose at her, he took the turban from her and cracked it in half between his palms effortlessly before tossing the pieces to the side. Sofia quirked a brow at him, pursing her lips as if to silently mock: 'Oh so macho of you.'**

**Then she saw the smudge of singed soot along his cheekbone.**

**"Wait," she said as she reached for his face and he jerked slightly away from the contact. "Let me get it," she soothed unconsciously, ignoring his intense stare as she rubbed the smudge off his cheek with the pad of her thumb. She held him in his spot with a hand on his tattered shoulder pad while she brushed the remnant of the smudge away with the tips of her fingers. "There…" she said, trailing off when she directed her red eyes to his intensely brooding onyx spheres.**

**His skin grew hot when she stared at him, his eyes hovering over her parting lips before roving her eyes deeper. She didn't even flinch when his hand came up to pet her mussed hair out of her face before running his fingers through the dark tresses, but she did breathe deeply when he brushed his lips experimentally over hers. Parting mildly, he stared at her, not knowing what he was feeling. Her eyes softened, and she closed the distance between them. He leaned down and met her half way. They kissed each other with a lingering passion still unsure but hungry to reach out.**

**The heat of his lips lingered tantalizingly before he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, causing her exhale of breath to breathe out her nose as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His tongue began to caress the soft tissue of her mouth, his frame pressing more and more against hers the longer he kissed her.**

**The flood of feelings and heat began to rush along her insides while his body grew less tense the more he felt her warmth against him. The torrent of doubt and emotions were there for both of them, but they couldn't hear them, or care about them over the thrumming exquisiteness of their pulses going wild and the undulating of months of repressed feelings warming their cores.**

**Parting from the kiss, Piccolo trailed his hands down the back of her arms and up her sides, his eyes hooded and alluring while her eyes stared heavily up into his, her lips bruised and her body swelling with excitement under his touch. Neither said a word, but their eyes spoke volumes to each other, urging and comforting as they were burning for more of the other.**

**Her hands roved up his torn and battered gi to slip under the weights on his shoulders, an action that petitioned him to get rid of the bulky and intrusive things. Piccolo complied, tugging the shoulder pads and cape off and letting them noiselessly drop from his grip before he returned his warm and calloused hands over her hourglass figure.**

**Sofia kissed his jaw, sighing when she could wrap her arms fully around his shoulders and feel the muscles and tendons flex under her touch. Tangling his hand in the back of her hair, Piccolo pulled her up to kiss him while his other hand snaked up the back of her shirt.**

**Gasping, Sofia shivered at his touch on her exposed skin, wanting so much to reciprocate. Kissing him again, she took the initiative and tugged his intrusive shirt out from the sash, caressing up his torso to feel the myriad of textures that wove his skin and wrapped around muscles and tendons. He hummed in his chest, a sensual and primal sound that sent shivers to flutter in her womb.**

**Tugging the shirt off of his head, Sofia anchored herself to him, forcing him to follow her down onto the bed, where he impatiently began kissing along her jaw and down her neck, so unsure of his actions and what to do next, but determined to make her feel like her touches and kisses made him feel. While he lingered on the spot just under her jaw, Sofia trailed her fingers along his shoulder blades before nudging him to lay on top of her with the inside of her knees gently squeezing against his sides. When his weight settled onto her, she sighed in sensual contentment, taking his attention from her neck to the sensual expression gracing her heated features.**

**He shifted over her when he kissed her again, an exquisite feeling combined with the burning urge that was coiling into a knot in his gut. She arched against him, gasping when his hips pressed down on hers. Raising her hooded gaze to his, she caressed his cheek into her palm while her other hand guided him back down for a pure, toe-curling kiss before he snaked his arms around her and kissed her back with incredible vigor. In a daze, she barely noticed his hands working the hem of her tank top up her torso, his hands filled with purpose while his mouth scorched her from the inside out. She arched again, and this time Piccolo pulled her up with him, taking advantage so as to tug the garment off of her to end up with his discarded shirt on the floor. He paused and took in her semi exposed form, his breath whispering out his lungs as he reached out to touch and caress her almost reverently while she gasped at his touch and hungry expression. They sat up and clung to each other, simultaneously working to finish undressing the other while taking time to kiss and caress each other as more skin was freed from their intrusive clothes.**

**His sash fluttered to the floor, allowing his baggy gi trousers to hang around his hips. He pulled her to the edge of the bed, kicking the last of his clothes off and ending months of curiosity and replacing them with sensual appreciation and avid lust. Before Sofia could compose her wants to her actions, her hands skimmed down his torso, savoring how his muscles tightened and how his breath hitched when her fingertips traced his hardened flesh, lightly palming it and caressing it soothingly with her fingertips. All he could do was watch her, his mouth parted and his eyes heavy with curiosity and desire. When she leant forward to kiss his abdomen, he combed his tapered fingers through her hair, staring down at her crimson gaze when she glanced alluringly up at him.**

**He couldn't take it anymore. His pulse was roaring behind his ears, his apex was tightening with unknown need as his hands worked their way down her hot and responsive flesh and to come at odds with her pants. Suddenly hauling her to stand, Sofia braced herself against him shakily as he kissed her, his hands working on freeing her lovely hips and lithe legs from the confines of her pants before his fingers clumsily hooked into the waistband of her flattering undergarments.**

**Sliding her panties down her legs, he admired her soft and supple form, letting his hands linger on her thighs and hips before guiding her back to the edge of the bed. He was about to join her on the bed again, when her legs parted in anticipation for him.**

**His mind flashed to several weeks back, when she had practically molested him in her sleep. Gliding his palms along her inner thighs, he let his hands act out the wandering of his mind, remembering the heat and moisture he'd felt against his fingers the first time he'd touched her between her legs. She was trembling under his touch, a fact that aroused him even more.**

**When his fingers glided over her soft and moist womanhood, Sofia gasped and bit her lower lip, her body growing tight with excitement. He watched her react, licking his dry lips and leaning over her to kiss her while his fingers still curiously caressed her moist folds. Inadvertently, his still clumsy fingers parted her folds to glide and trace her warm and tingling entrance. She gasped in his mouth, her hands lightly gripping his forearm and comforter when his fingers brushed her swollen bud. He took notice of her reaction, and did it again, pulling back from the kiss to watch her face light up with nervous pleasure.**

**He shifted on top of her so as to watch her better, when one of his fingers slipped inside of her tight warm sheath. She cried out in surprise, her face heating with a light blush when his eyes darted to his hand and back to her.**

**"Did I hurt you—?"**

**"No…!" she gasped before he could finish his tense question, the blush growing over her cheekbones.**

**He seemed wary, though his fingers still experimentally touched her. Not wanting for him to shy away, Sofia reached for his thick and hardened manhood, palming the flesh gently before stroking it lightly. Piccolo stiffened from her touch, setting his jaw at the flood of pleasure that coursed through him and coiled in his stomach. He breathed out through his nose, not wanting to part his lips in fear of making a noise.**

**She watched his expression, loving how his lips tightened while his brows smoothened from the pleasurable touch. Her hand tightened around his shaft, stroking more firmly as he unsuccessfully tried stifling a groan. Encouraged, she sat up and started leaving butterfly kisses along his pecs and abs, stroking him while his tall frame shivered lightly from the undulating sensations. He felt so smooth and warm in her hand, his hard flesh twitching ever so slightly as she stroked him.**

**"S-Sofia…" he said in a hoarse tone as he stopped her hand and received a slightly disconcerted look from her. Not liking the hurt glint in her crimson eyes, he surprised her by picking her up and guiding her back onto the bed before settling between her legs, with his forearms resting on either side of her head, framing her under him as he kissed her with fierce passion.**

**She melted against him, their lips working against each other with fervor as he shifted on top of her. Sighing in pleasure, Sofia parted her legs further, her whole body tingling and flooding with unbridled excitement when his erection pressed against her inner thigh. Humming with need, she pulled him closer, loving having his weight pressed on her.**

**Piccolo took the opportunity and kissed along her jaw, his mind muddled with his arousal and the uncertainty of what to do next.**

**Sofia sighed as his lips scorched her already heated skin, lips parting to whisper his name with a hint of desperation. He shifted to look back into her heavy-lidded eyes, the inquisitive stare he gave her made her worry he'd stop. She kissed him softly before whispering against his lips, "I want you…"**

**His brow furrowed, but he returned her kiss before asking huskily, "What do you want…?"**

**Her eyes gleamed in understanding, her lips tugging alluringly and mesmerizing him with that smile he secretly cherished from her. "I want you...to make love to me," she breathed out with lustful meekness, her knees tightening on either side of his hips.**

**His lips parted, but the question died in his mind before he could utter it. For some reason, he comprehended. He shifted, his hand gliding nervously down her side to her hip before slipping between them. With veiled determination, Piccolo guided himself to her moist entrance, watching her expression as she anticipated his next move.**

**When his tip pressed into her, she cried out, her legs quivering around his hips and waist while he groaned at the exquisite heat that slowly closed around him. She clung to his shoulders from his next thrust, biting her lip from the mix of pain and rush of sensation.**

**Pausing above her, Piccolo trembled slightly as he read the tension in her face. "Am I hurting you?" he said in a steady but hoarse voice, his antennae brushing her forehead from how close he was to her.**

**"No…please don't stop, Piccolo," she breathed out in a searing whisper that sent a jolt down to his core.**

**Nodding slightly, he kissed her as he entered her deeper, her body tensing while her hands tightened behind his shoulders. His hips pressed fully against her, his shaft completely sheathed inside of her tight heat as he nuzzled a groan against her neck. She kissed his temple, panting slightly as her body adjusted.**

**His hand squeezed her thigh when she mewled and shifted under him, her body throbbing for more friction. He loomed up above her when he inadvertently bucked his hips at her movement and they both responded with hearty cries of pleasure. She gripped his forearms, her eyes gleaming up at him when he repeated his thrust and earned a cry of approval from her and a hitch of breath from himself.**

**She whispered his name, arching up when his next thrust was more fervent than the last. Her body was clenching around him, while his hardened flesh throbbed inside her, the sensations pulsing wildly and spurring their passions.**

**"Mm, Piccolo…" she murmured between gasps as his thrusts gained rhythm and confidence.**

**He growled in his chest at the noises she was making, sending him into such a state of arousal that he could barely keep his composure. Burying his face against her neck, he moaned for the first time, a sound so passionate and full of feeling she clung to him and whimpered sultrily.**

**She nipped his earlobe when he thrust hard into her, earning a gasp from him. He sat up and kissed her roughly, his tongue parting her lips and delving into her eager mouth hungrily as his hand reached between them to fondle her firm and supple breast. Crying out in pleasure when he squeezed her breast, Sofia arched into him, wrapping her legs around his waist to encourage him.**

**His mouth closed over the spot under her jaw when she cried out, his hand slipping to the small of her back for more leverage as he began bucking in and out of her more erratically. Her body was growing taut with bottled up excitement from how close she was on the brink of climax.**

**Piccolo was dully aware of her warm heat contracting and tightening around his throbbing shaft, a sensation that made his loins throb and the knot in his stomach flood with pleasure, an impending feeling of bliss he wasn't too sure he wanted to reach overwhelming his senses.**

**Her cries were becoming more heated and frequent as his pace quickened and his thrusts became more pounding in his increased state of hypersensitivity. Then he felt her shiver and stiffen under him before she cried out his name in a hearty moan, clinging to him as her orgasm flooded her body and sent jolts of bliss across every nerve ending.**

**The heat that flooded around his sex tore another fierce moan from Piccolo, his body tingling with every desperate thrust into her trembling form.**

**Sofia was overcast by the sheer bliss she was in, the aftershocks of her orgasm reverberating throughout her body just as Piccolo was reaching the edge of climax. His body was shivering on top of her while his thrusts grew to a feverish pace, his eyes clenched shut against the incredible sensations undulating throughout his body.**

**"S-Sofia…I—" he mustered hungrily and nervously against the rising onslaught he was holding back, his hands digging into the disheveled bed in a desperate fight to keep his control.**

**Wrapping her hands around his neck, Sofia kissed his tense features, whispering for him to open his eyes. When he did, he almost lost his control at how beautiful her smile and how soft her gaze was. "Let go…I want you to," she whispered, brushing her lips against his as she bucked her hips against his.**

**Piccolo groaned, exhaling harshly as he kissed her with open longing. Sofia sighed a moan before gasping with his next powerful thrust, gripping his shoulders tightly as he groaned gruffly with his efforts. Before long, he tensed above her, growling out her name before thrusting desperately a few more times as he orgasmed. He clung to her as he moaned against her neck, his hot essence flooding into her still trembling form as he collapsed on top of her.**

**He panted raggedly against her neck while his body slowly relaxed, kissing her hot and sweaty skin while she sighed blissfully and rubbed his shoulders soothingly. Mustering the energy, she turned her head to glance at his relieved and relaxing features. His eyes opened into drowsy hoods, his lips parted as he hungrily regained his breath.**

**They kissed each other tenderly then, completely oblivious of time and space and only anchored to each other. Before long, their comforting kisses and blissful cuddling lulled them both to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms and tangled in a mess of bed sheets and comforter, she tucked under his body protectively while he buried his face into her soft hair.**

**Then, peaceful unconsciousness ignorant of the future to come…**

 


	18. Serenity in Sensation

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_**

**It had been ages since I slept so blissfully. I was cradled in warmth, my body relaxed and content to just lay motionless against the firm form that seemed to envelop me. If I could have remained like that, it would've been the joy of my life. But, I began to stir from my deep sleep, awareness creeping into my senses against my wishes.**

**My eyes fluttered lazily as I shifted to my back. When my head rested against something firm that flexed from my movement, I was jolted awake. I stared up at the domed ceiling, realizing it was bigger than what I was used to waking up to. Caressing the covers in my grip, I realized I was in the main room…and that I was naked and laying between Piccolo's side and his arm. My head was resting on his shoulder and his bicep was pillowing the side of my head. I stiffened, not wanting to wake him up before I resolved to shift to my side towards my sleeping lover _…lover! Oh god…we made love!_**

**And that's all I could call it. It wasn't sex or anything else that primal or sensual. It was on such a different level. I berated myself for being so juvenile. I mean he was my first, so what the hell would I know about it? But still, I felt so…full, as in contentment with everything around me and myself.**

**Snuggling closer to him, I nuzzled the crook of his neck, resting my head just under his chin as I sighed silently to myself. Piccolo's breathing was deep and relaxed, his snoring a soft purr that rumbled slightly in his chest as his pecs rose and fell.**

**Somehow we had managed in our sleep to shift into such comfortable positions. I mean the last thing I remember was being under him and cuddling until I fell asleep. Now I was covered with bed sheet and comforter, while Piccolo's body was fairly revealed in all its glory. He had one arm jammed behind a pillow, his legs splayed apart with only part of the comforter resting over his hips and waist. He looked absolutely sexy.**

**Not being able to help myself, I pulled some of the comforter up so I could peek down at his impressive manhood. My cheeks burned when I got a very appreciative look at him. I was slightly baffled over how in the HELL we could've made love, since even in his current state he was quite sizeable. Piccolo sighed in his sleep, shifting his grip loose from around my back by tossing his arm over my pillow.**

**I figured while he was asleep I should freshen up in the bathroom, maybe sneak back into bed and cuddle more before the dream popped and he freaked out or something over what we did. I knew 'the talk' would be in order, but I just wanted to delay the real world and bask in my dream having come true.**

**Sneaking cautiously out of bed, I shakily walked to the bathroom and managed to step in before my knees buckled. After shutting the door, I used the facilities before making it to the sink. Splashing some water on my face, I let the night's events wash over me in droves of heated scenes and sensations. I stared at my nude reflection, surveying my tousled hair and kiss bruised lips with girlish interest. I looked like a woman who had been ravished in all the right ways.**

**Snickering at myself, I rested my hand on my stomach, absently reminding myself of what Kyouran told me. As juvenile of a thought as it was, I wondered what it would be like to be pregnant with Piccolo's child. It scared me immediately when I considered it seriously, and I just knew there was no way that would be a decision I needed to make any time soon. A little part of me swelled with excitement at the thought of being Piccolo's lover, dare I say girlfriend, however.**

**The future of things seemed very uncertain, regardless of what had happened between us. All I knew was that I very much wanted to be with Piccolo, in every sense of the idea. It was beyond the crush of months ago. My feelings made my heart flutter and my mind hope for things that I knew were far fetched, but I had no doubt would make me truly happy if they were to come true.**

**Brushing away my whimsical thoughts, I snuck out of the bathroom and carefully climbed back into bed with Piccolo. He hadn't moved and his breathing was still relaxed, so I assumed I still had a good few hours of bliss next to him to cherish. I rested my head back on his shoulder and draped my arm around his chest to cup the side of his neck. Sighing, I closed my eyes and nuzzled against him, loving his scent and feeling his warmth caress my skin.**

**"What're you doing?"**

**Startled, I jumped up in bed and looked up at Piccolo, who must have been faking he was still asleep for the last few minutes. He was staring intensely at me in a way that made me tense for a moment.**

**"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to wake you. I was hoping to snuggle a bit more before you woke up," I responded softly and folded my arms with my head resting over them on his chest.**

**He sat up suddenly, forcing me off his chest, and stared down his nose at me. I gave him a confused look and he sighed heavily before cutting eye contact with me. Shifting away from me, he sat on the side of the bed and rubbed his palms along his face, pointedly giving his back to me. A sense of panic gripped me then, and I crawled over to him and draped my arms over his shoulders before pressing myself against his broad back.**

**"Piccolo…what's wrong?" I whispered against his ear before nuzzling his jaw. "I know you might be weirded out but—"**

**"But what," he muttered coldly before I could finish my sentence and looked over his shoulder at me. His eyes were dark and cool, gazing at me as if I was intruding into his thoughts.**

**Slightly stunned, I pulled away from him and stared at him utterly confused. "Don't you want to talk about what happened…?"**

**Turning away from me, he got up and walked to the foot of the bed to retrieve his clothes. He didn't give me a backwards glance or respond to my question. My stomach dropped, my insides feeling like they were knotting and choking me slowly.**

**"Piccolo…?" He ignored me and kept dressing himself while I sat pathetically on the bed and watched him. When he picked up his gi top and turned it out, I lunged and snatched it out of his hand, my pulse racing and my temper rising. "Talk to me, dammit!"**

**Half dressed, Piccolo turned to face me fully, his expression trained into a stoic mask and his eyes narrowed sharply at me.**

**"If you're through with your little tantrum, get dressed and meet me out in the void. We have work to do."**

**Incredulous with shock, I just stared at him, unable to even react when he snatched his gi top out of my grip to pull it on before securing his battered shoulder pads and cape over his shoulders. With that done, he stalked out towards the void steps and kept going without even looking back.**

**I felt numb to the core. Every thought was overrun with panic, distress, and anger. I could barely climb out of the bed and grab my tattered clothes. Senseless, I dressed in a daze before turning to stare out at the void. I never thought my heart could sink and feel hollowed out as it did at that point.**

**Before I even realized it, I was slowly making my way out to the void, following the lead of the person who just made all feeling crumble inside of me.**

* * *

 

**'How could you do that to her!? You're behaving like a callous and stupid brute—!'**

**'Shut it, Nail! I will not talk about this with you,' Piccolo shouted back at his counterpart.**

**'How could you ignore the hurt you caused her with your insensitive display? Your attempt at refuting the feelings you have for each other is getting ridiculous and reckless!' the other Namek chided telepathically, earning a growl from Piccolo.**

**'Drop it, Nail…'**

**'I will NOT 'drop it,' Piccolo! You two shared a moment of tender and intimate bliss last night and you know damn well you don't regret it! Stop behaving like a-a…'**

**'Bastard?' Piccolo finished moodily for him, which caused Nail to scoff.**

**'Yes, exactly. If you can recognize that much why the hell did you do that to her—?!'**

**'Because this can't last, alright?! What happened last night can't happen again and I can't let this get any more serious than it is!' Piccolo shouted vehemently back at Nail, fed up with the barrage.**

**'What are you talking about? She clearly doesn't feel the same way—'**

**'That's the point! You're forgetting that this is a temporary thing. When we leave this chamber and finish fighting Frieza, she has to return to her own realm. This isn't her world; she can't stay here and I know that's what she's going to try and do if I let this continue the way it is!' Piccolo's statement silenced Nail as the rationale set in for both of them.**

**'…So you're going to make her hate you, is that it?'**

**'…If that's what it will take for her to make the right decision…'**

**Nail sighed, overwhelmed and disappointed. 'Piccolo, the means will not justify the end you think you want. You know you feel just as strongly as she does. Don't force something that you have no control over…'**

**Piccolo stopped walking and hung his head, angry with himself and with the logic he was trying to uphold. Unfortunately, he didn't see any other option but to drive her away. He wasn't anywhere near prepared for a battle with Frieza yet, but he didn't see how they were going to last any longer in the chamber with how complicated their feelings for each other were getting. Because of this, he had decided while laying in bed alone that he had to prevent their relationship from going any further. If that meant sacrificing her feelings for him and driving her to hate him, so be it.**

**"Are we doing the usual spar session…?"**

**Her voice snapped him out of his brooding musings. Turning to face her, his heart sank at the dull gaze and expression she regarded him with. Ignoring the impulse to change his mind, Piccolo put on his stoic and icy mask as he replied, "I want to see how much you've learned. Come at me with everything you've got."**

**Sofia's expression showed a pang of shock and confusion, so he decided to make his point by tossing off his shoulderpads and gesturing for her to go on the offensive.**

**Her eyes narrowed in sadness as her whole demeanor waned. Setting his jaw, Piccolo scowled at her as he stalked over to cut the distance between them.**

**"Did I stutter? I think I just told you to come at me," he condescended contemptuously and inched into her personal space. Her eyes snapped up to match his, revealing a flare of rage in her crimson depths. "Well? What're you waiting for?" he taunted.**

**" _Fine,_ " she ground out between tight lips before powering up and sending a telekinetic jolt to push him back from her. Before he could react, she was on the attack with a flurry of combos and speed that weren't allowing him time to size her up and fend off the hits. **

**"C'mon you can do better than this! Is this all you've learned?!" he taunted to her face as he blocked a series of punches. "This is pathetic!"**

**Anger flashed in her expression, and the next thing he knew she was gone. He looked up above him just in time to see a series of ki blasts rain down toward him. Taking evasive moves, Piccolo dodged through the blasts and phased to the sky just before a kick to his gut doubled him over.**

**He recovered quickly before a hit to the chin whipped his head back and a palm hit to the abdomen drove him back to the ground.**

**Landing in a crouch, Piccolo flipped backwards to avoid another short series of energy attacks. Anticipating another quick-speed attack, he managed to block Sofia's next punch and caught her leg in mid kick. Jerking her towards him, he put her arms in a lock behind her back and kicked the back of her knee. Driving her down to one knee, he forced her into a submissive position before snidely declaring, "If this is all you've got, you've wasted your time in here."**

**Whipping her glare over her shoulder, Sofia gave him the most murderous look he'd seen since the day she transformed. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know what you're doing, Piccolo—!"**

**"Oh really? So you know I regret ever training you, let alone mating with you?" the sarcastic statement sent a jab into her core. He felt her flinch in his arms, and he immediately hated himself for preying on her in such a way. He let go of her arms and shoved her down to the ground. She stayed on her hands and knees for a few seconds before collecting herself and standing slowly.**

**"Piccolo. Do you know what I regret?" The cold remark earned his undivided attention as he faced her back. Her fists were balled at her sides, and her hair was obscuring her profile as she turned her head to finish her statement.**

**"I regret nothing. No matter what bullshit you pull, I will never regret wanting to be with you, let alone sleeping with you," she stated in a level tone before brusquely turning to face him.**

**Her eyes were burning with emotion, her expression poised and fierce as she walked up to him. Captivating his gaze with her intense glare, she purposefully hauled back and punched him in the face.**

**Piccolo staggered a few steps and held his cheek as he stared back at her incredulously.**

**Her shoulders were shaking from her restraint as she contemplated him. "You betrayed me. You're not the first. But since I can still help it, you _will_  be the last," she stated cryptically before turning and stalking back to the palace. **

**Stunned, Piccolo watched her walk away for a few minutes before the magnitude of her statement hit him. He rushed after her and managed to gain on her when she was back in her quarters.**

**He caught her as she was encapsulating her things in unorganized piles.**

**"What are you doing," he asked in a vacant tone as she collected her music collection and encapsulated it methodically.**

**"What does it look like," she responded cynically as she continued collecting her belongings and encapsulating them.**

**"This doesn't serve either of us—"**

**"Oh, I beg to differ. The way you've been acting, me leaving the chamber will serve you well," she snapped at him and grabbed the few things on the dresser and shoved them into her backpack along with the capsules.**

**"We came in here to train, not get involved in reckless attachments and you know that!" she ignored him and continued collecting her things. "Dammit, listen to me!" he shouted and interfered as she tried to step past him.**

**She stared up at him and gave him an icy look. "Let me pass."**

**"I don't want you to leave," he stated in a reluctant tone and stood his ground.**

**She looked up into his tense gaze and saw the frustration etched around his mouth and brow.**

**Looking away from him, Sofia felt just as conflicted. She knew she wasn't ready for this and she certainly didn't want to leave just yet. Regardless of what Piccolo thought, she planned on helping out against Frieza if anything out of the timeline happened. She felt she still had a lot of untapped potential, but she knew things were different now and she couldn't count on Piccolo to help her reach new levels.**

**"I'll stay then…but not because you don't want me to leave," she stated aloofly and turned away from him, tossing her backpack on the dresser and walking towards the archway. Before she walked out, however, she turned and stated, "For the rest of the time we're in here, I'll train myself. There's nothing more you can teach me. You and I are on different paths…I know that now."**

**Without waiting for a response, she walked out of her quarters into her side of the void, leaving Piccolo to watch her cut him out of her life.**

* * *

 

**'Well, I hope you're happy. You got what you wanted,' Nail grumbled to him.**

**Piccolo didn't respond. He stared out at the void from the steps he was sitting on, completely at a loss.**

**Nail continued regardless. 'You're free to train by yourself now. No more will Sofia be there to warm your days and make you actually _enjoy_  a life of companionship. Oh no, who would ever want such a weak and pathetic thing—'**

**'I get it, Nail.'**

**'No you don't! You've ruined something that was not your place to control! She loves you, and you're too stupid to accept that,' Nail rambled on, causing Piccolo's frown to deepen. 'And the worst of it all is that you love her too…'**

**'Now you're being melodramatic,' Piccolo huffed, standing up and deciding there was no use sulking about something he knew had to be done. 'Do me a favor and keep your hysterics to yourself. I came in here to train, not be caught up in some juvenile affair.'**

**'At least let me go check on her,' Nail grumbled, to which Piccolo snorted snidely.**

**'Oh yeah, just who she wants to see,' he barked sarcastically, adding, 'The Namek living in my head. Knowing you, you'll go rambling off at the mouth and make my life a living hell—'**

**'Oh shut up you've already done that to yourself, you jackass!'**

**And with that, Piccolo was given the telepathic equivalent of a cold shoulder. Sighing, he decided it was for the best. He needed solitude now, especially after he worked so hard to isolate himself. Blasting off into the void, he decided it was time to see how far he could push himself when his mind was preoccupied with the weight of his thoughts, worries and doubts.**

* * *

 

**Slowly blinking the drowsiness out of her eyes, Sofia let the stark brightness of the void force her to shake her sleep off. Sitting up, she felt every muscle ache and cracked her back. The boombox next to her had gone quiet hours ago, having lulled her into listless exhaustion. Flipping onto her feet, she proceeded to stretch before practicing some kata stances.**

**This had been her routine for the past week.**

**She often trained herself into such exhaustion that she passed out right out in the void. Her sleep was often the equivalent of cat naps, with anything more too fitful to endure.**

**When she had stood her ground against Piccolo, she knew there was little she could do without a partner, so she figured it was due time to master her telekinetic abilities. Insofar as a few days she was capable of controlling and moving several objects at the same time without the guidance of her hands. She started off with small objects like glasses and plates before moving onto her heavy furniture. The latter training was undertaken while Piccolo was nowhere to be found, so she wouldn't run the chance of seeing him and being distracted.**

**Confident she had the basics down, she moved onto the abstract idea of manipulating her ki into solid telekinetic forms. She had remembered Kyouran's sparring session with Katsumoto and how she manifested a katana from manipulated ki. Sofia figured attempting to copy her past life would test her endurance and resilience, so she engrossed herself in the task of the at first excruciating ki manipulation technique.**

**The muscle strain she would suffer in her arms often stiffened her joints and left a searing sensation that burned throughout the tissue. It took her a day to realize the technique's trick.**

**It came to her when she was wondering if she could teach herself to copy other fighter's trademark attacks, such as the Solar Flare and the Kamehame-ha. Then it hit her; each attack was preceded by a series of moves and poses. The person had to go through a series of steps in order to channel their energy just right. She realized that maybe the same was true for the type of ki manipulation she was attempting.**

**This discovery was paired with what she already knew from her telekinetic practice. Her ability to move and manipulate things with her mind was based on the principle of metaphysical will, or her mind using her internal force the same way a magnet would. As long as she focused and controlled that internal force, keeping it constant and influenced by her mind's will, she could move, push, pull, and make anything float. Mass was an important factor, but overtime it would be unequivocal once her mind's will was sharpened and trained.**

**Uniting both theories, she figured she could try creating ki in a fluid motion, so it could pump through her more naturally than by just willing it to the surface and rushing to mold it with her telekinetic force. Putting her theories to test had been a challenge, but overtime the more she trained her body to accepting the fluid motion of her ki the better she could concentrate her internal will to know just when to form shapes from solidly manipulated ki.**

**The first thing she formed was a small but sharp blade. It rested in her palm and took more concrete form the more she concentrated and willed the ki to bind tighter together. After a while it shattered and fizzled out of her palm, the sensation similar to Fourth of July sparklers that shoot sparks and sizzle slightly along a person's skin. Her next series of tries developed her awareness to her ki flow and the cues of when her limit was reached.**

**Pretty soon, she was able to flare out her energy and form a rudimentary dagger made solely out of her ki and molded by her telekinetic will. Having graduated from the smaller scale weapons, she figured it was time for her to attempt forming a full fledged katana.**

**Closing her eyes and standing in a relaxed pose, Sofia flared her arms out fluidly in tai chi-like gestures with her palms slightly cupped as if she was pushing the air around herself. Her concentration calmed and prepared, she began to let the ki flow through her and slowly willed it to swirl in the palms of her hands. Opening her eyes, she willed the ki to take form. With her mind's eye, she pictured the shape she wanted to manifest and held out her left hand as if she was holding the handle of a sword. Sizzling to life, her red ki compounded to form a handle before sparking upwards into a hilt. The blade was the most difficult part because she had to compound her ki into a thin and sharply contoured edge. Baring her fangs, she willed the sword to become solid just as her ki was at its dissolving point.**

**With a flash of crimson, the sword she held was as corporeal as any Japanese steel. Her fingertips were like rods of constantly rippling ki that bound the weapon together while her telekinetic will kept the weapon a reality. Swinging it around in the air, she heard the swoosh and swish like steel cutting through air before tapping the tip of the red glass-like blade on the ground and hearing a pitch-fork-like twinge.**

**Wrapping both hands around the handle, she took stance similar to that of what Kyouran did in her dreams. She began wielding the sword as if she was sparing with an invisible partner, putting all her effort into it before over exerting herself and losing concentration. The sword became unstable and she let it fizzle before it shattered, causing it to flake like broken fiberglass before dissipating completely.**

**Completely drained, she fell back on her rear and exhaled sharply, clenching and unclenching her hands to get the tingly feeling out of them. While she did so, she stared blankly straight ahead at the golden domed edifice in the distance. She hadn't gone back there in 14 hours and she felt like she reeked. Not to mention she had been starving for the past half hour. Exerting so much energy made her immediately hungry afterwards, so she figured it was due time for a meal and a shower.**

**Standing up with much labor, she collected her boombox and began making the trek back to the small palace. As she neared the edifice, she absently wondered where Piccolo was. She had already sensed that he wasn't in the palace, hence why she was heading back now, but she still couldn't help wanting to reach out further to find just where in the void he was.**

**She missed him.**

**It made her mad that she could be so sentimental and frivolous after just a week, especially when he clearly was fine on his own. She knew he was disciplined to a life of solitude and that he was focused on his training, but a small part of her wished he wasn't so stubborn. There were moments when she knew he felt something for her, and after sleeping with him, she knew there was something meaningful there. However, he made her doubt his feelings when he rejected her so callously.**

**Walking in through the archway, she kicked off her boots and placed the boombox on the dresser. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned quietly as she went to the kitchen and made herself a small meal. Her thoughts distracted her, keeping her preoccupied on Piccolo and her predicament as she habitually ate her food. Frustrated, she huffed and put her plate in the sink before stalking out into the main room. Untying her hair, she tossed it loose and headed into the bathroom.**

**"I'm so freaking tired of thinking!" she muttered to herself as she shut the door and started preparing for a bath, figuring the hot water would help relieve the stiffness and strain in her tired muscles. Running the water to fill the tub, she let the room fill up with steam from the hot water as she stripped out of her tattered clothes. Completely naked, she sighed and braced her hands around the rim of the sink, staring at the fogged up mirror before swiping her hand over the surface to see her own reflection.**

**Her eyes were still alien to her. She stared at them before standing straight to run her fingers through her scalp. Aggravated with herself, she strode to the bathtub and climbed in before descending into the relaxing water. She turned the water off and simply basked in the glorious warmth before settling back against the tub. Overwhelmed by her thoughts, she slid further into her water until she was submerged in the fluid heat.**

**She tried to ignore the ache in her chest when she resurfaced, but her anger was dissipating into an indecisive longing, a feeling that left her regretting everything…especially her feelings for Piccolo. It wasn't fair for her to resent him and she knew it, but she hated how he had to push everyone away.**

**Resting against the back of the tub, Sofia let her preoccupied mind run wild, figuring it was no use for her to deny herself the what ifs and worries that had plagued her so far.**

* * *

 

**Roaring in frustration, Piccolo fell to his knees and punched the ground, incensed that he couldn't push through the wall of exhaustion his body was falling prey to.**

**He had been at it for hours, and with Nail refusing to help him until he apologized to Sofia, he was all on his own in his training. Frustration was infuriating him and leaving him weary — that he would not be prepared for any fight against Frieza. More than a few times, his mind betrayed him with what ifs and rogue curiosities, such as how much Sofia could tell him about the battle. When he immediately thought of her, he cursed out loud and swore he would stay for another hour to clear his mind of her. These personal edicts only made him think of her more, however, leaving the seasoned warrior aggravated and vexed with himself.**

**Sitting on the ground, he brooded over how monotonous and frustrating the last week had been. The more he tried reminding himself it was too late to regret, a nagging voice— which _wasn't_  Nail— reminded him that he had tried to push away Gohan and look what it got him: dead and brought back to make the same mistakes with Sofia.**

**Of course it wasn't an identical situation, but the fact remained that he was put in a difficult position. He cared for Sofia, but he knew what had to be done and he couldn't let his desires interfere with the reality of their situation.**

**He huffed and stood up, deciding that sitting and sulking in the void was an exercise he was tired with for the day. His body ached and he felt like a headache was coming on from all the stress he dealt with.**

**He was too tired to even fly back to the palace, opting to instead walk and ignore his thoughts. "What the hell am I going to do," he muttered grumpily at himself when his mind constantly reverted back to the same worries and stress.**

**'Apologize to her,' Nail chimed in and startled Piccolo's brooding.**

**'For crying out loud…'**

**Ignoring the other Namek's groan, he went on to list in a factual tone, 'You know you can't stop thinking about her, you feel like an ass—'**

**' _Nail,_ ' Piccolo growled in a warning tone.**

**Snickering aloofly, Nail added, 'Since you two parted ways you've been preoccupied and impetuous in your training. That isn't like you, and I'm sure she's been having a hard time too.'**

**'I wasn't the one who wanted to part ways,' Piccolo grumbled haughtily, adding, 'She wanted to train by herself. It's for the best and you know it—!'**

**'No, what I _do_  know is that you thought you could push her away and not have any consequences to deal with. You thought she would throw a tantrum, understand you inherently, and move on. Nothing you've done has been for the best…you need to realize that,' Nail emphatically retorted. **

**Piccolo walked up the steps into the main room as Nail's remark began to sink in. Was that what he really thought would happen? It made him sound like an idiot, but he silently admitted that he thought something along those lines would occur. Confronted by the breakdown in his logic, he stood in the main room for a minute to collect his cool.**

**'No matter what you say, Nail, the damage is done,' Piccolo stated firmly. 'I made a decision and I'm going to stick to it.'**

**'This is all because you don't know how to apologize…'**

**Starting to really lose his patience and temper, Piccolo grunted and continued walking towards the bathroom. 'You're really pissing me off, Nail. Let it the hell go!'**

**'I will not, Piccolo! Just apologize and fix your stupid mistakes. At least have the decency to talk things over with her before throwing what you both have away!' Nail implored.**

**By this time Piccolo made his way around the bed towards the door of the bathroom. 'Mind your own damned business and stop going over and over the same sh—!' Piccolo cut his tirade off when he yanked the bathroom door to slide open brusquely, revealing a startled Sofia.**

**Completely nude and still dripping wet from her bath, Piccolo walked in on her just as she was in the middle of toweling off, her wet hair covering one of her breasts while the other was revealed, the towel barely covering her hips. She was frozen in shock, her brilliant red eyes wide in stupor at him.**

**Piccolo's expression was a mixture of shock and stunned awe. He stared at her for what felt like an eternity to them both before his mouth snapped closed and he made an about face out of the room, rushing out when he was at a loss for what else he should do.**

**A pang went through Sofia as she watched him retreat, her body shivering from the adrenaline and the onslaught of emotions she felt. Instead of seeing someone who was too bashful and inexperienced in such an encounter, she took his rushing out as yet another form of rejection. That feeling of rejection caused the tide of anger to flood her rationale, and before she knew it, she was stalking after him while simultaneously pulling the towel around her nudity.**

**Meanwhile, Piccolo made it as far as her quarters before Nail's shouts were making his head ring.**

**'Where are you going?!' Nail hollered telepathically.**

**Piccolo didn't answer as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, a bright blush burning his cheeks when he realized he ran like a sniveling child at the sight of a nude woman.**

**"Piccolo!" he flinched at the furious call, steeling himself for the deserved tirade he was about to receive. He turned and had to check himself once again when he saw the fervor in her eyes and her beautiful curves barely covered by a towel.**

**She locked onto his expression, trying to keep herself from bursting at the seams with all the anger she had bottled up. He stood expectant for the worst and even that upset her.**

**Unable to hold her furious gaze up, she looked down at her hands as they gripped the towel around her.**

**"Am I really so insignificant to you…"**

**Her statement made his gaze intensify on her, but he was truly at a loss behind the stoic façade he made to keep her scrutinizing gaze out.**

**"Do you even care how you've made me feel?" she asked in a shaky voice, her composure crumbling piece by piece as she stood in front of him so exposed, physically and emotionally.**

**Piccolo stepped towards her, but vacillated, unsure of what to do or say.**

**"I've been falling for you…falling so fast regardless of everything else that matters. Now I've fallen so deep that I don't know what to feel…and you don't care. It's one thing if you don't feel the same way, but completely another that you just don't give a damn or—just…" her voice cracked, the feelings lumping in her throat. "You just don't care…" the whisper was followed by a shaky breath before Sofia caught herself and looked up into his eyes again.**

**She was stunned by the unguarded empathy she saw in his eyes. His brow was furrowed and his lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes welled up, and before she could prevent it, a tear slipped down her cheek. It was quickly followed by a few more.**

**Piccolo came towards her but when she backed up against the wall, bracing herself before her knees buckled and she lost anymore of her composure. He paused before continuing to get close to her.**

**"That isn't true."**

**He spoke so low that it took her a few seconds to comprehend what he said. She was trembling from the internal turmoil threatening to crumble her. When she didn't look up at him, he finally came towards her and purposely cupped her face in his hands, tilting her face so she could look up at him.**

**When he saw the tears streaming down her face, any sense of propriety or composure buckled inside him.**

**Brushing the tears away with his thumbs, he caressed her face with such tenderness that her breath hitched and more tears escaped her gleaming eyes. "Sofia…I do care…I care too much…to the point that thinking of how _you_  make  _me_  feel drives me crazy," he explained in a gruff breath, his face burning from the admittance.**

**"Then why…?" she whispered, looking pleadingly into his onyx eyes.**

**Setting his jaw, Piccolo trailed his hands down to her arms before bringing her closer to him. "You're going to make me say it…?" he asked bashfully, startling her because his expression was tense and insecure, as if it pained him to admit anything else.**

**"Because you don't want to be with me," she juxtaposed for him, her voice cracking as the lump in her throat grew tighter.**

**He huffed through his nose. "No, it's…the opposite of that…" he muttered with much effort. He looked into her eyes and got lost. The conflict in those alluring eyes made him feel like a fool, so before he knew it, his mind stopped talking for him. "I've never felt the way I feel right now before…it worries me not because I feel like this about you, but because I like how I feel about you…and I don't want it to stop…you're not the only one that fell…"**

**Her heart clenched at his words, and before she could stop herself her knees buckled.**

**Piccolo caught her in his arms, pressing her against him before her hands came up and clung to him. He held her as if she would flutter out of his fingers while she forgot about the towel around her and gripped the front of his shirt. Said towel slipped off her body, bunching up around Piccolo's arms as he leaned in and whispered something against her temple.**

**She sighed as his words washed over her, relief flooding into her as she turned her head so she could kiss his jaw. When she looked up into his eyes, a knot formed in her core and her breath came quicker as he walked her back against the wall before capturing her in a heated kiss. Just as it intensified she reacted, the shock of his unguarded passion seeping away as her excitement mounted within her.**

**He kissed her because he felt words wouldn't do her justice. All he wanted was to feel with her what they had shared, and this time he intended to screw all pragmatism and just let it all go.**

**The towel fell to the floor, leaving her naked and warm in his arms as their kiss grew more frenzied. He lifted her slightly and pressed her more firmly against him and the wall, sighing into her mouth when she gasped and began tugging at his clothes. She arched against him when his hands slipped to cup her backside and his mouth trailed down her neck to suck on her pulse. The ridge of his clothed sex pressed against her, making her grow hot with need.**

**"Piccolo," she whispered in an ardent sigh as she clung to his shoulders.**

**Looking at her with a hooded gaze, her request died on her lips when he kissed her again. The well of emotions inside her was taken over by anticipation and desire, forcing her to fidget against him and tug at his clothes again.**

**The roar of his pulse throbbed hard, making him dull-sensed up until she started tugging on his clothes. He realized he wanted to be naked too; wanted to be inside her and wanted to feel every inch of her under him and kiss her breath away. Swiftly, he moved them both to her bed, practically carrying her as his lips hungrily kissed her. Before he was able to toss her on the bed, however, she became assertive in her need to get him naked.**

**She took the turban off his head and left it to clatter to the floor, same with his shoulder pads and cape. Tugging his gi top free from his sash, she guided it up his sculpted body and tossed it. Before the shirt even hit the floor it was quickly accompanied by his sash, leaving only his gi pants to cling precariously to his hips while he kicked his moccasins off. Her hands skimmed over his rock-firm pectoral muscles, his stomach tensing when her nails dragged slowly down his defined abs. He simply watched her with heavily-lusted eyes, panting softly as she trailed kisses along his chest while her hands pushed his pants off his hips to pool at his feet.**

**Finally both nude before each other, Sofia wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed fully against him when he closed the distance and kissed her with desperate longing. Growing more lustful, they french kissed wantonly, suckling on each other's lips and laving their tongues together as his hands studied every curve of her, committing her luscious form to memory.**

**Her mind was elatedly floating in the bliss of being his again. Every touch and kiss was leaving her gasping and stripped to every sensation he stirred in her. Soon, he lifted her onto the bed and loomed over her form, without breaking away from her scintillating lips. Her legs parted in anticipation for him, but she was surprised when he didn't rest between them and instead lifted from their kiss to trail hot, moist kisses down her neck and across her breasts.**

**Sighing from the sensation of his breath against her skin, Sofia caressed her hands along his shoulders and arms as his mouth closed over a taut nipple. She mewled in pleasure as his tongue tenderly licked the sensitive flesh, biting her lip as she flushed with heat and desire. Her knees brushed the sides of his thighs, his stiff manhood bobbing slightly when he adjusted and kissed his way to her other nipple.**

**Burning with excitement, the hungry throb in her core was making her desperate to have him inside her and pressed on top of her. When his hot mouth began to scorch its way down her navel, she sat up slightly and surprised him by shuffling close to his lap and trailing her hands down to his warm and thick erection. Piccolo flinched and gasped from the tantalizing contact, gathering her into his arms and kissing her as she began stroking him with passionate determination.**

**His hard flesh flinched in her palms while they kissed and she touched him lovingly, the same needy desire to claim her driving him as it drove her. They parted from the kiss and panted against their lips as they gazed into each other's eyes, seeing much more than lust burning beyond the windows to their souls.**

**She pressed the pad of her thumb over his blunt tip and arched in his arms when the action led her to be pressed back against the bed with Piccolo anxiously gathering himself between her welcoming thighs. He kissed her with abandon as his fingers began touching her excited flesh while his other hand guided his manhood into position. Breaking the kiss just as he started pressing into her, Sofia cried out in excited relief, clinging to his shoulders as he sheathed himself slowly to the hilt.**

**Their control finally broke as they began making love, the week of resentment and hurt feelings forgotten. Instead, they were left hungry and raw to each other, belonging only to one another.**

**Piccolo buried his face against her neck, his urgency to make her come apart in his arms with bliss driving his every action while Sofia's luscious reactions propelled his own arousal. She arched against him, her hips meeting his every thrust, her gasps and cries echoing with his groans and grunts in the room.**

**Their lovemaking became more frantic, leaving Sofia under him at the edge of climax while he bucked desperately into her under the weight of his own impending orgasm. Not wanting to lose the feeling of ecstasy incarnate of making love with him, Sofia used her legs around his waist to roll them over, leaving her on top with him staring up at her with surprise in his flushed features. Before he could voice his surprise, Sofia lowered and kissed him as she settled more comfortably over his lap. Piccolo's hands instinctively held her hips as she began to rise and fall on him, her slow and deep motions driving him in and out of her pulsing warmth while he writhed in pleasure under her.**

**She arched and whispered his name when he started thrusting upwards, matching her rhythm and intensifying it by guiding her pace along with his hands at her hips and waist.**

**Tossing her hair out of her face and arching above him in ecstasy, Sofia cried out and held on to his wrists as she was overtaken by her climax. The sensations that reverberated throughout her body coiled as she lost herself to him. Piccolo's gaze was riveted to her as she fell into bliss, the mere sight of her driving him into a voracious frenzy.**

**Rolling and pinning her under him, Piccolo's control finally broke as he thrust into her with abandon, prolonging her own carnal delight as he drove himself to his own overwhelming climax.**

**Groaning, he tensed over her and came apart, burying his face against her neck and shoulder as his release ebbed his senses. Sofia clung to him, panting with him in an afterglow that kept her sated and warm against him.**

**Once they settled into contentment, they nestled under the blanket. Piccolo framed his arms around her face, lowering to brush his lips across her cheeks and lips as he whispered softly to her. Her eyes welled up and she smiled through her tears, kissing him back to hush his apologies.**

**He nuzzled her jaw, bringing her against his chest when he rolled over and settled on his side next to her. They didn't say anything to each other. Their caresses and the heat of the other's presence was all the dialogue they needed.**

**Staring up into his handsome face, Sofia sultrily smiled up at him, earning a deep kiss from him that curled her lovingly against him. Her fingertips trailed along his bicep as she kissed his throat and collarbone, his body heat and scent intoxicating her and lulling her into tingly glee.**

**Piccolo hummed from the sensations she was stirring in him from the minute touches, his body growing hot with arousal all over again. The concept was still very alien to him, but the pleasure she caused to awaken in him was something he intended to explore further.**

**His hands tantalized her into restlessness against him, and before they knew it, they were making love again, this time slow and tender, feeling something more than the lust and desperate need of before.**

**After they both fulfilled each other, they collapsed in an exhausted tangle of sheets and comforter, falling asleep in each other's arms and shutting out everything but the feel of the other against their skin.**

**Serenity reigned throughout once they passed out within the bliss their passions created.**


	19. Crossing Over Thresholds

 

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_** _Reminiscing_

**Serenity reigned before giving way to blissful peace, energizing their metaphysical attractions just as powerfully as their carnal attraction had propelled them into uniting—mind, body, and now soul.**

**The blissful calm of slumber had begun to ebb away, but consciousness hadn't pulled itself free of the tranquility yet. At least that's what it felt like until something started echoing in the recesses of memories—**

**_Not my memories...where am I?_ **

**Suddenly aware, Piccolo felt more than saw the beginning of memories flood him like a sequence of muddled snapshots that quickly became clear and fluid to his mind's eye. _I'm not dreaming…_**

**The haziness began to come into focus before him, revealing the sequence of memories slowly. A little dark-haired girl was running away from shouting children, struggling to keep a necklace clutched in her black-nailed hands as she reached a meadow. Her red eyes stood out starkly to him. _I've seen those..._**

**Next, the memory melded into a different scene, but a similar instance—a small dark-haired girl running away from a group of menacing bullies. Cornered, she turned to glare at her tormentors, the flicker of fear shining in her chocolate eyes.**

**Both scenarios morphed into a flurry of cuts between each memory—the red-eyed girl being attacked while the brown-eyed girl curled up and absorbed the blows leveled by her bullies.**

**_This is…this is Sofia and her past life! What in the—!_ **

**Piccolo was flooded with an onslaught of memories that ricocheted between Sofia's and her past life's lived traumas, trials and tribulations. From Kyouran's cross apathy in being trained by the humans she loathed to Sofia's lonely isolation from her peers and family. It peppered through in waves—the feelings and hopes of both women who were so intertwined but bled through to show him just how similar each had lived while experiencing such diverse lives across time and realms. _Could I be in her mind…?_**

**" _Is that anyway to speak to your twin star?"_**

**Piccolo felt the shiver go through his psyche at the voice. Not because he was shocked by the statement clearing the dissonance of the memories, but because he'd heard it in his own mind since the day he'd hatched and been set on his task of avenging and destroying his enemies—**

**His sire's enemies; his father's diabolical tone splintered the memories into fragments of a battle—one that spanned from Kyouran and Sofia being assaulted by the devastation and fury of the inner turmoil personified in the figure of their twin stars. Piccolo saw his sire's obsidian eyes gleam with cruel intentions while his own onyx stare focused in conflict towards the woman in front of them.**

**Kyouran and Sofia stood side by side—the former with the front of her chest covered in an expanding circle of blood while the latter began to transform from the embedded crystals of her shattered garnet stone that were bleeding into her skin. The flash of crimson-like aura flared and blinded him from the scene.**

**Darkness began to engulf him again.**

* * *

 

**_I'm not asleep anymore. I'm not dreaming memories—not my memories…_ **

**Sofia floated through the recesses of unconsciousness, dully confused while hyper aware that she was no longer in the calm slumber she'd been relishing. She didn't struggle to escape the confusion, however. Instead, she let her mind calm further and beckoned for clarity to reach her.**

**Suddenly, she heard weeping—a soft echo of child-like sobs that seemed to pull her down into a recess of long-repressed memories. The muffled cries grew clearer as the darkness began to illuminate from a weakly flickering fire in the middle of a dark and foreboding wood. The small figure that was curled with its back against the dark tree trunk it was huddled against was shivering—the light of the firelight casting an odd bronze hue to the little hatchling's features.**

**Piccolo faltered into the moment of overwhelming misery and loathing after days of wandering the wilderness alone, his rage and acrimony hard-boiled into his psyche, but not his own. Round cheeks streaked with tears, the little hatchling rubbed his eyes angrily with his balled up fists before using his long sleeve to wipe at his face. His trembling frame caused his antennae to vacillate. He couldn't suppress the shiver from more than the chill to cause him to hug himself—his little emerald hands gripping at his navy tunic emblazoned with the insignia of his sire's title on the front of it. The conflict caused in the little Namekian's mind led him to break down and weep for the first time since his sire had seen fit to propel him into the world with nothing but the rancorous fury of his defeat and need for revenge.**

**Sofia's heart ached, desperately wanting to reach out to the child version of her twin star and console the little being with hopeful words and infinite kindness, but her mind was pulled away to instead watch a Namekian who's resentment and anger had boiled over towards the humans he watched depravedly corrupt and slaughter each other for decades—his pitiless obsidian glare sweeping across a cold and desolate range of mountains he'd once called home. He was no longer a being struggling to cope with internal turmoil. No longer needing to conceive his struggle between peace and rage—finally free of his meddlesome side, he contemplated all the sadistic chaos he'd inflict on the world, ready to bathe the Earth with his supreme hate and domination.**

**Daimaou glanced in her direction and seemed to look through her at first, until he smiled ruthlessly at her—then the smile changed.**

**Piccolo's expression distracted her momentarily until she realized he was standing side by side with his sire. Both Namekians glanced at each other—the sire grinning at his reincarnation, who scowled and looked towards her, before surprising them both when he thrust his arm out, repelling Daimaou's presence like a cloud of malevolent smoke.**

**'Piccolo?'**

**She reached for him over the disembodied distance—**

**Piccolo felt her. He reached out in the darkness, pulling himself free from it to see Sofia materialize like a specter—one that focused on him with love and relief in her crimson eyes.**

**'Sofia?'**

**When his hand reached towards her to caress her cheek, his fingertips brushed through her like she was an astral projection.**

**Blinking at him, Sofia extended her hand to his, and they disappeared through each other as if they were both holograms. 'Whoa—Piccolo, what's going on?' she realized she could feel her words, but wasn't actually speaking them. 'Where are we?!'**

**'I think…we're dreaming? But conscious of it,' he mused, his perplexed tone echoing to him as hers had. 'Wait, I saw you—'**

**'I saw you too! Well…I saw different things—memories…' she glanced up into his eyes. 'We're in some sort of telepathically-linked rapport, aren't we,' her astonished realization caused him to focus on the weight of her realization.**

**'…I think so.'**

**'Well…what do we do now?' she murmured, absently reaching for him and watching her hand glide through his again.**

**'I guess…we fade back into our own minds?'**

**'That doesn't sound very self-assured, Piccolo,' she ruefully smiled at him, adding, 'When we don't even know how we've got ourselves telepathically tangled up.'**

**'Hey—I'm not an expert, but I think I have a little more experience with this whole telepathic thing than you,' he retorted in a husky baritone, one that curled even her metaphysical toes.**

**'Okay…see you on the flipside, sugarlips,' she goofed with a wicked grin playing across her lips before winking slowly out of sight.**

**Piccolo shook his head, unable to prevent the smirk he felt pull at his features. 'There goes my peace and quiet in here…'**

**He slowly felt himself recede back into consciousness, pulling out of the darkness and calm of their telepathic rapport.**

* * *

 

**He'd woken up first a while ago, but didn't want to stir her, so he remained in bed next to her and watched her sleep. Piccolo didn't think she could look any more peaceful than she did, curled on her side, her hand pillowed under her cheek while her arm rested over the blanket. She looked delicate—lovely. Her long bangs were draped over her face; her lips parted slightly.**

**Reaching carefully over, he combed the dark chocolate strands away from her face and tucked them behind her ear. He trailed the pads of his fingers along her cheekbone before cautiously pulling away. She sighed softly, her eyes fluttering before opening slowly, blinking the sleepy haze away and shifting. He clenched his jaw, embarrassed.**

**Sofia's crimson eyes opened and she inhaled, stretching before gazing over at Piccolo who looked breathtaking lying next to her in all his glory. He also looked like he didn't know what to do with himself. Then she realized that this was another first for them.**

**And quickly after that realization, she was thunderstruck with the recollection of their telepathic linking.**

**"Piccolo?" she murmured and reached for him, knowing that he'd more likely pull away than—**

**He pulled her close, cuddling her against him. Shocked, Sofia looked up at him, but she couldn't see his expression. Smiling, she kissed his throat and wrapped her arms around him.**

**Piccolo buried his nose into the top of her head and grunted, closing his eyes as he felt her warm body press against his.**

**"I saw your memories."**

**Sofia glanced up at him, startled. "So did I…"**

**Piccolo's jaw tensed, for a moment. Then his features became stoic as he murmured, "I didn't know how bad things have been for you while we've been in here. I didn't know…"**

**"It's in the past, and you shouldn't worry about it, Piccolo," she calmly interjected, caressing his cheek with her fingertips. "God I'm glad I can touch you—that astral telepathic projection stuff was freaky!"**

**He huffed through his nose with amusement.**

**'Can you hear me?'**

**Piccolo gave her a small smirk. 'Yeah,' he tipped her chin up so he could lean closer until his antennae were brushing the top of her forehead. 'Guess you'll be able to pester me just as bad as Nail does now,' was his grumbled musing, but she could hear the wry amusement in his tone while his usually brooding expression softened slightly.**

**'Ah, c'mon! At least now you won't have such a hard time figuring out what I'm thinking, so you won't have any excuse to be such a naïve sexy thang,' she teased and wiggled her eyebrows at him.**

**'Feh, you're incorrigible,' he muttered and shook his head ruefully. Then, 'What did you see?'**

**It took her a short moment to realize what he was referring to. She bit her lip, not sure what she should share. He seemed to read her expression without actually having to hear her thoughts.**

**'I've been wondering why it's been impossible to meditate since we've been here. I thought at first it was just a fluke—some mental block I was putting myself in. But I saw things I never…' he broke off when her eyes intensified on his. 'I saw memories that showed things my sire did that were not passed down to me. Your past life—'**

**'Piccolo, don't worry about it. I know—' she tried to interject, but Piccolo shut his eyes and projected part of what he'd seen over their telepathic rapport.**

**Sofia saw in her mind's eye Kyouran and Daimaou battling in the meadow, and heard the Demon King's harsh and venom-tinged voice taunt her past life as he cackled.**

**"Is that anyway to speak to your twin star?"**

**Her eyes focused back on his expression again. Piccolo was frowning, not liking feeling compelled to repeat the very taunt his sire had once uttered to her—to her past life.**

**"Why didn't you tell me all of this before—after you knew everything?" his stoic tone was masking a lot of the repressed loathing he'd thought he'd erased long ago.** _You—don't know, do you…?!_ **Piccolo suddenly remembered her incredulous cry back when she'd gone manic.** _I'm Kyouran's reincarnation…YOU are Piccolo Daimaou's reincarnation, so how could you not know what your sire did to my past self!?_

**She watched the conflict cloud his gaze, so she plucked their telepathic rapport to hear his thoughts when her memory snapped at her like a bolt of lighting—**

… _Before you accuse me of something I don't even have a memory of, why don't you take up your grievance with that sunovabitch Kami!?_

**'Piccolo,' she broke through his muddled thoughts and pulled him into their mental rapport. Instead of seeing her, Piccolo saw the memory of Sofia and Kyouran speaking to each other in her unconscious.**

… _Kami decided on some drastic measure, and after taking some preventive measures, he wiped his own memory of the little saga, and since he and Daimaou are the halves of the same being, Daimaou lost all memory…Kami also went through the lengths of blocking out that part of Piccolo's consciousness, once you came into the picture, of course. Just in case he went looking for memories, or chasing ghosts…_

**After Sofia had lost consciousness and their romantic angst played out, he'd completely shelved the business of the blockade and her accusations, but now she'd woven a complete picture for them both.**

**'I didn't want to force you to remember even more terrible things that you weren't guilty of. There's no point in rehashing something so vicious and dark—Kyouran told me it was time to push away and leave the past behind. You and I aren't _them_. We're going to make our own choices and damn anything that tries to derail that,' Sofia soberly explained, her eyes gleaming like bright crimson stones to him with how resolute her feelings on the matter were.**

**'I still want to know.'**

**Sofia frowned, knowing exactly what he meant. 'I'm guessing Kami started to remember way before we walked into the chamber, so any blockade he erected should be weak enough for you to knock down now…but I don't want you to, Piccolo.'**

**He felt her hand on his cheek, so he slipped from their rapport back to their current state: snuggled in bed together. "No more secrets," he rumbled as he shook his head, stubborn in his decision but not wanting to start a quarrel with her over it. "I agree with you—we're not them, but that still doesn't mean I shouldn't be aware of everything. It's not fair…that you're stuck knowing all of it."**

**Sofia couldn't help feel the same ache in her heart she'd felt when she saw him as a child. The fear and pain that poor little being had felt had been a cruel state to plunge anyone into, and she hated Daimaou for doing it, but now, being here with him after everything he'd gone through and everything she'd suffered in her own life—she didn't want to deprive him of the truth. She didn't have to like it, though.**

**"I'll help you break it down, if you promise me one thing," she finally spoke, her stare focusing on his as he grunted and nodded for her to continue. "You won't let it weigh you down. You'll accept it, push it away, and move on with me. We'll share everything and not be self-conscious with each other from this day forward…agreed?"**

**Piccolo thought about it for a moment, his gaze becoming unreadable as he weighed the proposition. Feeling that he would hedge at the prospect of being so emotionally bare to her, Sofia was about to tell him to forget it, but she was surprised when his gaze focused intently on her and he smiled. "We've come this far. Hell, we're in each other's heads now, literally, so what else is left for us to mess up?" he husked in a huff, but his smile didn't falter as he propped himself up on an elbow and stared down at her.**

**She felt butterflies flutter in her belly at his bravado, and had to suppress her desire for him. Managing to lean up and press her forehead to his instead of pouncing on him amorously, Sofia giggled and nodded in agreement. "Damn straight. Look at you, being all purposely sexy and shit. You're too much for me, you know that?" she purred and winked at him, her lopsided smirk silly and loving all at the same time.**

**"Har-dee-har," he rolled his eyes, but couldn't muster any sense of annoyance. Her rambunctious and salacious comments had long ago ceased to unnerve him. If anything, he had to admit that he'd grown to like just how insanely titillating her flirtations were towards him. 'What a little hentai,' he chuckled to himself.**

**'I heard that!' she chimed right back at him.**

**He chuckled gravelly, his gaze cooling as he sobered. "So…what now?"**

**"Guide me, and I'll help you remember…" she mumbled, resting her forehead against his again and closing her eyes.**

**Piccolo did just that—bringing them into the recesses of his mind and easily coming across the mental block. Unlike the last time, there was no red mist; no ominous voice growling threats from the darkness. Instead, they came across an undulating barrier that seemed to ripple the closer they approached. Glancing sidelong at each other, the twin stars continued to approach the barrier until they were both close enough to reach out and touch it. The tips of their fingers brushed and slipped through the rippling blockade until they met a slight resistance.**

**Staring over at Piccolo, Sofia murmured, 'This doesn't feel like you. It feels like—'**

**'Kami. I know,' he finished for her. 'Damn old goat really did meddle where he doesn't belong.'**

**'Well, like everything else, you two are constantly resisting each other, so maybe it's the same with this?' she mused, adding, 'Maybe if you accept his influence—no matter how much it pisses you off—and let things go, this barrier will fall away.'**

**Piccolo scowled. _Easier said than done._ Still, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Sofia watched as his astral projection began to slightly glow, and when he reached his hand back towards the barrier, the rippling ceased completely. Pressing his hand against it, she watched as it began to bleed away like ink seeping through a page to reveal chaotic flashes of memories left untouched for centuries. **

**'You don't have to come with me. I can deal with this now,' Piccolo pulled her gaze back to him.**

**Hesitating, Sofia glanced back at the chaos just a stones throw away, and shook her head. 'You know better than that,' she ruefully smiled at his brooding look. 'Besides…no more secrets, remember?'**

**Piccolo gave her a curt nod, grunting resolutely as he stared back at the menacing recess of his mind. 'Let's get this over with.'**

**The twin stars steeled themselves and stepped through and into the anarchy of his sire's memories, the final barrier to their pasts peeled away and their solidarity towards each other cemented into a bond that would foster them through the horrors of their past selves where they would force only understanding and love to remain.**

* * *

 

**The worst between them was over.**

**Sofia felt it with all her being, and although they were technically still having to deal with being at a crossroads in their training, she felt peaceful that things were in their hands alone; no omnipresent force was reaching from the past to dictate what was to happen to them.**

**They'd seen the horrors of his sire's repressed memories—from how he'd killed Kyouran to how he'd later disposed of Hiretsukan and began to plot his own course for world domination, after spiriting away the necklace in the hopes that his twin star would be reincarnated and would join him on the quest they'd been destined to pursue. Hundreds of years went by, and Daimaou soon forgot about the whole business—not aware that Kami had intervened and erased the episode so as to prevent the Demon King from meddling with time and space to force his gemini equal into their world once again.**

**Piccolo had been struck by the absolute level of obsessive energy his sire had invested in not only antagonizing Kyouran but also annihilating his own subjects and the innocent villagers just to flip a switch in her that would make her fall into step at his side. It made no sense to him how they were supposedly tied together yet so violently opposed to each other's wills.**

**Staring down at Sofia now, he shoved everything away and kept his promise.**

**…But there was still the business of what would happen once they left the chamber, destroyed Frieza and fell into normalcy—when there was no defined purpose for her to remain in this realm.**

**It nagged at him, and he knew it would cause a level of conflict neither willingly wanted to initiate, let alone acknowledge.**

**Sofia was lying on his chest, her fingertips trailing the red seam of his bicep muscle while his white tipped fingernails combed absently through her hair. They hadn't said much since coming out of the repressed memories of his mind, but not from tension. They felt at ease and were in no rush to break the bubble of zen-like peace they both took comfort in.**

**"I don't want this to be a temporary thing…"**

**Piccolo stiffened, adjusting to stare down at her. He hadn't expected her to be aware of the ramifications he'd privately been dwelling on—mindreading or not— or that she had thought that far ahead, but then again, he did have a nasty streak of underestimating her.**

**She knew he was thinking of some rebuttal, so she sat up and covered his mouth before giving him an intense look. "Don't. I know you well," she quipped and continued, "You're gonna argue with me, but just listen: I'm committed to helping you and the others as best as I can without getting directly involved and messing with the timeline and the organic sequence of events…but I don't want this to be temporary…I don't wanna try to guess how you feel—"**

**"Then don't," Piccolo rumbled earnestly, pulling her delicate hand away from his lips when he shifted to sit up and gaze down at her. "You can't be selfish…and neither can I. How're you supposed to be in this world and not get involved? It's impossible," he stated sternly, lips pressing together and eyes crinkling at the corners.**

**She gazed up at his onyx stare and sighed before averting her crimson eyes. "I want to try…I just want to be with you…" His gaze intensified as he tipped her chin up so she'd look at him. She reached for his jaw, tracing it reverently with the tips of her black talon-like nails before leaning up to wrap her hands around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. He didn't resist, kissing her tenderly as she clung to his shoulders and pressed her body against his.**

**Before the kiss intensified, he pulled away and fought a blush. She buried her face against his chest, laughing softly at his still prudish ways and nervousness about his own arousal. _We definitely need to work on breaking him of this sexually self-conscious thing._**

**"I could just have my way with you right now, Piccolo," she purred and finally pounced, batting her lashes while she smiled appreciatively at him.**

**His eyes grew wide and his mouth bobbed open to protest, "How can you jump to sex?! Stop trying to distract away from the issue!"**

**"Aw, c'mon Piccolo! You're a sexual dynamo and you know it! Let's not argue," she seduced, kissing along his collarbones while sneaking her hand down his abs.**

**He grabbed her wrist and grunted before pulling away. "No more mating! Stop trying to pet me," he sneered. Sofia scoffed and laughed, so he growled with displeasure and slid to the edge of the bed. "If you can't focus on the conversation then I'll just get dressed—" his earnest grumble was interrupted by her glomping onto his back, giggling as she slid down to his waist. Piccolo stiffened before glaring at her over his shoulder. "For Kami's sake, woman!"**

**"Piccolo, if you don't get back in this bed, I'm going to bite your butt!" she threatened with an impish laugh and chomped her teeth to emphasize her point.**

**His eyes widened. "You're worse than that lecherous Roshi!" he chastised but froze in place, not knowing if she was raunchy enough to do it. When she tightened her grip around his waist, he relented and got back under the covers with her, muttering about being held hostage by an insatiable woman.**

**The brooding Namek's complaints were quickly quelled once she kissed him on the chest and cuddled sidelong against him. "I just want to…prolong this for a bit. Don't hold it against me…" she murmured against his chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat.**

**Stretching out, Piccolo put his hands behind his head and sighed.**

**'I don't want this to be temporary either…'**

**The admittance made her heart swell, regardless of the fact that he didn't say it out loud. The fact he shared his feelings at all was something she cherished deeply.**

**'Can we just…cross that bridge when we get there?'**

**Piccolo contemplated that, weighing all the pros and cons, strategizing and tracing all the options the prospect afforded them currently and would eventually afford them in the long run. When he wasn't liking all the options, he internally growled and shoved it all away to be catalogued later. _To hell with it. I don't want to worry about any of it, so I'm not going to. Not right now, anyway…_**

**"Are we gonna lay in bed all damn day, or can you rally to get back to training already?" was his only answer to her telepathic question, so she pouted and propped herself up to glare at him. Instead of the scowl she expected, she saw his sardonic smirk and knew he was only teasing her.**

**Shooting him a mocking and quirked glance, she suddenly sprung up in bed and started jumping up and down on the mattress, triumphantly winking at him while in all her nude glory before him. Piccolo's eyes fixed on her generous breasts as the perky mounds bounced. His eyes roved her nude, curvaceous form, the intrigue and magnetic attraction her sensuality revved from deep within his core still foreign to him. However, it wasn't something that he was fighting to repress anymore. Expression slack-jawed for mere moments as he took in all the splendor of her body that she audaciously only shared with him, he managed to snap his avid stare up at her dazzling smile as she giggled at him, "Let's rally and get nuts, Piccolo-kun~!" before hopping back down next to him onto her knees and floating his discarded gi shirt from the floor to her hands. Tugging the top over her head and on to bag and barely conceal her slender frame, she brought the collar fabric up to her nose, inhaling his scent as she eyed him and mused, "But first, we're in desperate need of a shower…care to join me?"**

**Piccolo sat up, his antennae bobbing with his movement as he cocked his head to the side and rumbled, "If I haven't before, why would I now?"**

**Smirking seductively, she leaned in close and kissed him on the cheek, "Because you want to?" She winked at him again and hopped off the bed, strutting towards the entranceway to the main room. Piccolo followed the trail of her long legs up to her firm and round backside hidden by his baggy gi before caressing his gaze up her back to her eyes as she peeked at him from over her shoulder. "Don't take too long in joining me, will yah," she purred before walking through the doorway and crossing over to the bathroom.**

**He had to admit: it really pleased him to see her wearing his gi. Still a novice at the whole sexual attraction and enticement thing, he probably should've known that the right term was that it turned him on, but regardless of that, the Namekian warrior left the bed and followed her moments later once he heard the shower spray and her melodic humming echo from the bathroom. _She's just trying to get a rise out of me—err, it—or whatever,_ he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he concluded,  _I'm not gonna succumb to her wily teases. I have more control than that…yeah. It's gonna take a lot more than a shower to get me wound up like some common prepubescent punk._**

**Entering the room, the steam was already fogging up the mirror and clinging to the tiles under his bare feet. He stared at her silhouette behind the shower curtain as she hummed away and washed her hair, her hands tangled in the thick strands and lathering up the shampoo as she tipped her face up to the cascading water.**

**Feeling his presence, Sofia glanced at him through the shower curtain to see his silhouette standing amongst the steam of the room. "I'm almost all clean, but I could use your help with something," she called out softly to him over the shower spray.**

**Hesitating, Piccolo reached for the curtain as he answered, "Help with what?"**

**Rinsing the soapy water out of her hair, Sofia tilted her head to the side and smiled, "With scrubbing the spot between my shoulder blades."**

**She heard the shower curtain partially open and then quickly shut. "Kami's sake—this water is scorching! How the hell can you bathe in this?!"**

**Blindly reaching for the nozzle, she adjusted the water temperature. "Sorry—I forgot to ask you how hot you wanted it to be," she responded, letting the double entendre hang in the air flirtatiously as she turned to face him—brushing the wet hair from her face and over her shoulders. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but stare alluringly at him, in all his naked glory, standing so close to her in the tight confines of the tub.**

**Piccolo inwardly gulped. He couldn't help stare down at her to watch the water that was cascading over her neck and shoulders run in rivulets down her clavicle, stream down her breasts and nipples while a cascade washed down the valley of her cleavage to run further down to her lithe belly and the haven between her thighs. When she caressed her wet hands up his pecs, his gaze broke to glance up to her face, his cheeks burning violet at realizing how he'd been leering at her.**

**"Want to switch?" she murmured up at him, her eyes affectionately staring up into his, as she pressed closer to him.**

**"Uh—I thought you wanted me to help scrub your back," he husked between bashful lips, his blush subsiding but not disappearing completely from his handsome emerald features.**

**She giggled sultrily at him before giving his masculine and muscular body an appreciative once-over and biting her lower lip. "Oh don't worry, we'll do that later. But I don't want to hog up all the water," she explained serenely as she helped him maneuver to the other side of the shower so the water could cascade down on him, purposely brushing her hips lightly against his and trailing her hands down his sides as they moved.**

**_Must keep my composure. Don't be a damned horny jackass, will you! Just focus—don't get riled up…_ ** **Piccolo instructed himself as he watched Sofia pump some shower soap into her hand from a bottle before handing it to him so she could lather up the liquid and begin caressing it across her wet skin. She glanced at him when she scrubbed her palms across her chest and down her stomach. _Shit._**

**He realized he was staring again and gripping the bottle in his hand. Blushing, he turned to face the cascading spray of the showerhead, hoping the lukewarm water would be enough to calm his rising arousal. _Get your mind right, dammit. It's just sharing a shower—stop fixating on her…curves. Her skin and curves…_**

**Sofia had to keep her impulse and desire in check at seeing the warm water cascading down his sculpted back to run reverently down his spine and across his firm and muscular butt before trailing down his powerful thighs and calves. The fangirl glee of before was gone, replaced with the roving and seductive eye of a lover proudly taking in the body of her one and only. That didn't mean her heart wasn't fluttering and she wasn't wistfully sighing in her mind, however.**

**He washed his face and started reining in his mounting libido, when he felt her hands rub and caress across his back. Stiffening, he realized she was soaping up his shoulders and back, humming serenely again under her breath as her hands traced the contours of his shoulder blades, the curve of his shoulders, down his sides to linger at the small of his back before sliding her palms back up his spine to massage the sloping muscles that joined shoulder to neck as she leaned forward to press her soaped up body against his.**

**"If you want, I can soap up and scrub your front too," she whispered against his shoulder.**

**Before she could react, Piccolo had maneuvered to move her back under the spray while his hands came to rest on her shoulders in an attempt to keep her from turning and discovering the effect her ministrations had on him. "I'll scrub here now," he blurted out and tried to inject gruffness into his tone, but ended up sounding flustered. _Dammit…she's making it hard to—grr, focus!_ He admonished internally and shook his head. "Is this good?" this time, his tone sounded less starved, but the confidence ebbed away when he squirted too much soap down the middle of her back that caused a glob of the viscous liquid to stream down her spine and drip to areas that made her clench her teeth before he dropped the bottle and cursed under his breath. **

**She felt the bottle spin and slide to her feet, so she bent down to pick it up, unintentionally brushing her derriere against his hips. Blushing, Sofia gasped at the firm arousal that pressed momentary against her before Piccolo's hands grabbed her waist to hold her steady from falling while still allowing him to step back. "Whoa-sorry—" she began as she straightened and started turning around to face him.**

**"No-no, wait—!" Piccolo began to protest and tried stepping back again, but his foot landed on a streak of shower lotion that had seeped out of the dropped bottle. The next thing they knew they both slipped and fell in a tangle to crash facing each other in the tub—shower curtain coming down around them from both flailing their hands out to grab hold of something to stop them from falling.**

**Being pelted by the cascading water while they recovered from having the wind knocked out of them, Sofia sweatdropped and stared wide eyed into his blue blush-tinted features as he huffed a long breath out of his nose. She'd landed squarely down on him, her hips pressed against his, with her breasts flat against his chest.**

**"Ow-oh…." Piccolo finally breathed between clenched jaw, and Sofia realized his poor arousal had taken the brunt of the fall. "I'm _never_  showering with you again!"**

**Blinking down at him, Sofia couldn't help feel torn between being mortified and wanting to laugh. When his hands encircled her waist, she buried her face in the crook of his neck and snorted into poorly repressed laughter. "Oh my god I'm so sorry!" she wheezed against his wet skin and shook with laughter, adding breathlessly, "I can't believe how much we fail at this!" She continued to giggle ridiculously as Piccolo sweatdropped and sputtered with embarrassment under her.**

**"This is ALL your fault—I just wanted to shower and you had to seduce me—!" She was just about to try and peel herself off of him when his flustered growl made her go into hysterics again, bringing her back to slide down the side of the tub to press against him while laughing uncontrollably.**

**After a minute of glaring at her in exasperation, Piccolo slowly began to realize how absolutely idiotic the whole thing was, and how a beautiful naked woman had managed to take him down.**

**When she felt his chest begin to rumble with a suppressed chuckle, Sofia paused in her laughter to look at his expression, and before they knew it, they were both laughing. All the awkwardness, embarrassment and mortification were forgotten as they succumbed to each other's judgment-free amusement at the state of their epic failure of a shower romp.**

**Sofia loved it when he laughed. His eyes would crest with unbridled amusement and his smile showed off his fangs as his baritone laugh flowed out like liquid velvet to her ears. Piccolo secretly adored her laughter. Her expression would glow as her warm effervescent laugh filtered from chuckles to cackles then to soft giggles—her eyes dazzling as she brilliantly beamed her joyful humor at him with her sterling-yet-mischievous smile.**

**When the humor finally began to quell between them, Sofia sighed and pressed her forehead to his shoulder, exhaling and regaining her composure as his own amusement dried up and died back to a long huff. _Serves me right for underestimating how damned enticing she can be…_**

**Piccolo brought his forearm up to shield them from the raining water, completely sobering as he grunted, "Seriously. I'm never taking a shower with you again."**

**Smiling goofily, Sofia looked up at him and mused, "Fine. Only long, hot, sexy baths for us from now on."**

* * *

 

**The twin stars had successfully practiced what they'd promised: sharing everything and no longer being self-conscious with each other.**

**From returning to their rigorous training, helping each other develop new strategies, to even being comfortable splitting off to work on their own for a few hours, Piccolo and Sofia fell into a synchronization of life unlike anything either could've ever expected for themselves. Added to that was the continued breakdown of self-conscious bashfulness and wonder between them during the quiet moments when they weren't training.**

**Sofia still loved to tease him, and was unabashedly comfortable being the one to initiate their sensual moments, but that didn't mean Piccolo was still the skittish and uninitiated Namek he'd been when he'd first become a sexual being. He'd realized that under other circumstances, most people would be demanding or impatient with his lack of knowledge and inexperience in the arena, but Sofia was anything but. While she wasn't the most patient person, not to mention guilty of having one hell of temper, she was infinitely loving and patient with him in those moments of sexual curiosity. His questions, touches and desires were not only encouraged, but genuinely welcomed by her—no matter how silly the matter would seem afterwards.**

**He also had to admit it: she'd been totally right about it being the same as training. _Practice makes perfect._**

**And did she ever love practicing with him—in and out of bed. Sofia was totally comfortable with Piccolo. No longer self-conscious about what he'd think of her body, she proudly showed off her transformed form, feeling a sense of content glee when he'd pull her close, not to mention when he eventually began feeling the same towards her with his own nudity. She would never get tired of seeing him naked and comfortable being near her when he was. It meant that he wasn't hung up anymore about no longer being asexual, and if anything, was embracing being sexually woke and attracted to her. His once mortified or irked stares had become intrigued and possessive looks when she'd pull him down for a kiss or strut over to him after a long and grueling sparring session. When she reached for him now, instead of tensing or recoiling, he pulled her close or pressed his hands against her curves confidently—tenderly. He wasn't the most affectionate—nor would he ever be—but when she flirtatiously caressed him or glomped him now, he'd reciprocate with a gruff sense of bravado, trying to act like he was too bad ass to be "a mushy fool," but nevertheless his pulling her close or leaning into her affectionate touches always spoke volumes.**

**The one thing Piccolo had still to get used to were the times his mind would wander, or unbidden, rehashed different moments of passion between Sofia and him. From the heated sounds she'd make when he made love to her, to the feeling of her body as they engaged in foreplay or when she'd arch under him when he'd climax— _or the way she tastes…_**

**Piccolo shook his head, grumbling to himself that he needed to meditate a way to not be constantly thinking of sex when he should be focusing instead. _How can anyone possibly get things done when they're constantly thinking of this stuff?!_**

**'With lots of practice!' Nail cut into his thoughts. 'It's usually absent-minded second-nature for everyone else, but it's still new to you, so you'll just have to give it time,' Nail's tenor rasp continued in amused reply to his loud thinking.**

**Piccolo rolled his eyes. 'You're telling me Goku—who does little to no thinking, has moments when he's thinking of sex?' Piccolo groused, adding, 'Maybe that's how he thinks of food…'**

**Nail snorted. 'All I know is it's common for males to obsessively think of past sexual conquests or fantasize about fulfilling certain desires. I believe Kami once told me that statistically, human males think of sex every 7 seconds—'**

**'For the love of Shenron—that's gotta be a joke,' Piccolo interrupted, sneering at the chaotic mess his life would be if he couldn't go more than a few thoughts without pining for sexual gratification. Shaking his head, he focused back on what he'd been watching before his mind started to wander.**

**Sofia was about a few miles away from the palace training by herself. He could hear the echo of her boombox blaring music he could only describe as a thrashing chaotic wail, but that somehow seemed to help her focus the best during her feverish regiment.**

**'No joke,' Nail retorted, adding, 'I'm kind of glad I grew up without the trappings of dealing with romantic and sexual love. It's no wonder humans are subject to irrationality and—'**

**'Insanity? Yeah, tell me about it. That's probably one of the main motivators for wanting to annihilate them…'**

**'What, the insanity of wanting sex all the time?' Nail inquired with confusion.**

**'No! Just their insanity period—the constant mania and corruption they'd commit in the name of love or greed or whatever. My sire _hated_ them for being weak, vindictive and fearful creatures dominated by their baser impulses…' Piccolo scowled at the thought of all that, but once he focused on Sofia again, his expression softened. 'He was wrong. They're…not all bad.'**

**Humming knowingly, Nail went quiet, leaving his counterpart to resume watching his twin star as she transitioned from her flurry of hand-to-hand techniques to concentrate on energy attacks.**

**His attraction for her went beyond her physical beauty or her personality. He found it an absolute turn on that she was a powerful, skilled and fearless warrior. Once filled with empty bravado, now her prowess as a fighter rivaled that of his once-archrival Goku. She could hold her own in battle against him, to the point that they'd yet to surpass each other or have a clear victor at the end of their sparring sessions, and while that once maddened him to no end, he now accepted it with pride. _She's a force to be reckoned with._ A force he'd trained and honed. Even now as she trained by herself, his intrigue for her grew—**

**And his mind wandered to their hot and heavy session earlier in the day.**

**They'd woken up together—as had become their routine—and began prepping for a long day of training. But damn if she wasn't looking tempting wearing only his gi shirt. She'd sauntered into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, the latter what she was in the middle of doing when he walked in and stood behind her, watching her brush vigorously while she hummed a jaunty tune he'd never know the words to before she spat and filled her mouth with water. Playfully glancing at him in the mirror, she had slinked to the side to let him reach the sink so he could splash cold water onto his face before cupping his hands together to guzzle a mouthful to then gargle and spit it out. Leaning back over the sink, she'd provocatively pressed her derriere against his hips, but instead of straightening once she was toothpaste-free, she let her hips linger against his.**

**"Have you ever brushed your teeth before?" she had asked, but the playful glint in her eye remained as she watched him in the mirror trying to focus on what she was doing versus what she'd asked.**

**She'd been totally taking advantage of the fact that he was completely nude and already enticed, but he'd be damned if he quickly succumbed to her charms—at least not just yet. "No…not like I would've ever had a chance to before," he wryly retorted, his hands trailing to rest on her waist as he decided that two could play this game.**

**Biting her lip, Sofia stifled a gasp as her cheekbones flushed with excitement when he ground his hips against her. He was watching her in the mirror, relishing the accomplishment of seeing heated desire linger in her glowing crimson eyes. "No time like the present to give it a try," she'd mustered to chime, her tone smoky as she offered him the clean toothbrush.**

**Piccolo had wrinkled his nose at the oral hygiene tool. "But you were just using it," he'd protested and paused in his teasing to take it from her and glance at her quizzically in the mirror.**

**Sofia had rolled her eyes at him and grinned. "Umm, as if we haven't swapped spit already," she'd snickered, showing off a pointed fang as she added, "Not to mention all the other things these lips have done to you without getting a complaint."**

**Piccolo had blushed furiously at that, but quickly recovered to get his revenge. He'd taken the brush, leaned over to press fully against her as he lined a glob of toothpaste onto the tool, and remained pressed so that his manhood was flush against her womanhood as he brushed his molars and wickedly pointed fangs while she was propped against him and the sink countertop. As soon as he'd rinsed and flashed her a brilliant-yet-pointedly smug smirk, all oral hygiene had been tossed to the wayside as they abandoned the teasing and began having sex right then and there. Pressed over the sink, she'd gripped one hand on the counter while the other wrapped around his arm to grip the back of his shoulder as he leaned against her—one hand on her hip while the other held them balanced as he thrust in and out of her.**

**Shaking his head and trying to suppress the blush that crept across his chiseled emerald features, Piccolo had to compose himself to shove the raunchy memory away in order to return to his present position. The last thing he wanted to deal with was an errant boner that would linger until he could quench his lust for her.**

**_I seriously gotta get this damned libido in check…_ **

* * *

 

**She'd switched from the kata stances to work on her ki attacks, mainly on the way she generated the energy she needed to not only create a blast but also navigate its course once she fired it. It'd been a long process for her to feel confident in the level of her energy attacks, wanting them to feel as second nature as the Kamehame-ha was for Goku or Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon was for him.**

**Once she managed to get the energy to feel cool to the touch to her, like concentrated waves that crackled but didn't burn or singe her skin, she knew the attacks were perfect. Now she wanted to have complete dominion of the attacks.**

**After she realized that in the worst-case scenario she could divert her attack to dodge of miss her target, she was struck with the idea of absorbing an attack. On the occasions when they would go off to train by themselves, Sofia spent the time working on her theory of not only deflecting a large ki attack, but finding a way for her own ki to absorb the energy and make it part of hers.**

**Today she had raised the stakes. She decided to duplicate the same amount of physical stress and exertion Goku used when he trained in 100 times gravity. Since the chamber had it's own level of gravity set, she was currently wearing weighted gear to duplicate the level of strain her body should be under when trying to repel an attack. The battle armor she had on was similar to the model Gohan wore on Namek, except it was weighted to feel like 100 times heavier on her frame and it was molded to take account for her generous bust line. She was wearing a black bodysuit similar to the one Bulma had donned while she trotted around Namek, but her boots were styled similar to Goku's weighted ones, each representing 80 additional pounds she had to battle in. Her hair was up in a tight ponytail to avoid it sticking to her sweaty features as she panted softly.**

**Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, Sofia steeled herself into a stance that forced all the weight on her shoulders to root her in place as she began rubbing her palms together free of tension. Taking a cleansing breath, she began charging up the more manageable and less daunting of her energy attacks, concentrating even as her boombox blared in the background with a thrashing punk song. The energy began to zip like molten quicksilver through her bloodstream, flooding every muscle until she knew she'd hit critical mass if she didn't will the energy down into hands. Cupping her palms in a Tiger-style hand formation, she slid her left foot out and forced her ki to overflow and blast outwards. "Crimson Wave!" she shouted balefully and fired the coalescing blast of red energy straight in front of her, honing it to strike a target off into the distance before willing the energy to curve and turn back towards her. She watched the blazing and crackling energy flare and churn like an undulating scarlet sunburst as it careened closer. She clenched her hands before willing her ki to crackle and sizzle like pulsating gloves around her clawed fingers before flaring and engulfing her arms completely.**

**_Don't mess up, or you're burnt toast!_ **

**She slowed her breathing, focusing on the energy until she could feel time slow around her. Just as she could feel the stifling heat of her Crimson Wave lick at her, she raised her hands up and caught the wave's outer sphere, feeling the massive energy push her back to skid on the tips of her weighted boots until she pressed back and held her ground. Baring her fangs, she winced at the pressure the energy was causing in her joints to a bone-crushing level that would've splintered her months ago. Snarling, she willed her ki-enveloped hands to puncture the thin-bubble-like membrane of the energy. Just as the ki threatened to blister and shatter into dangerous scorching waves of fiery energy, her pulsating hands willed the spiritual energy inside her to begin cannibalizing the Crimson Wave.**

**A flash of light blasted across the void, blinding Piccolo and sending aftershocks to undulate over him as he shielded his eyes to the blistering aura. _No! Sofia—!_**

**He blasted off at full speed to cut the distance and reach the spot she'd been grappling with the energy, worry knotting in his gut as he skidded to a halt and ended up watching in awe as the aura dissipated to reveal Sofia—completely unscathed, glowing like a crimson-enveloped livewire. Even her red eyes were blazing with a glow that looked otherworldly as she focused them from her clenching hands up to his onyx eyes.**

**"Whoa…WHAT A RUSH!" she laughed and began hopping back and forth from one leg to another before going into a dizzying flurry of jabs and kicks that to the untrained eye would look like a mirage of blurry movement, but to Piccolo looked like intense speed and agility only rivaled by what he'd seen from the likes of Goku back on Namek.**

**When she flipped effortlessly into a volley of phases and acrobatics that would remind anyone of an expert gymnast on speed, Piccolo was about to shout at her broodingly when his ears finally registered the boombox's labored sputtering to continue playing against a quickly waning battery surge before it zipped off.**

**Freezing, Sofia phased next to him and crouched down next to the boombox, her scintillating and super-charged aura fizzling instantly as she did so. "Ah man! Nooooooooo!" she picked up the device and occasional bane of the Namekian's existence and frowned deeply at the dead battery icon that blinked at her from the display screen. "Dead battery?! ¿POR QUEEEEEEEE?!" she wailed forlornly, almost at the point of sniffling at the death of her source of music.**

**"I'm surprised you didn't manage to obliterate that damned thing with that risky maneuver you pulled!" Piccolo finally snapped at her, pulling her attention back to him.**

**Goofily whimpering up at him, she suddenly sweatdropped and quirked a delicate eyebrow at him. "Hey, wait a minute—just what're you doing over here, hmmm? I thought we agreed that solo training time was gonna be that—solo?" she mused and put the boombox down so she could plant her hands on her hips and give him a knowing look. "Have you been spying on me, Mr. Piccolo?" she leaned back overconfidently on the balls of her heels, forgetting she was still wearing all the weighted gear, and succeeded in tipping herself backward to fall flat onto her back with a loud yelp.**

**Now it was his turn to sweatdrop before slapping his hand over his face to huff in amusement and stifle the urge to laugh at her expense. "You really never cease to amaze me, you crazy woman," he leaned down and helped her sit up. "What the hell were you thinking?! You should never try such a risky technique by yourself."**

**She shook the spirals out of her dazed eyes before focusing on his handsome features and laughing nervously, giving him her best impression of any male member of the Son family as she chirped, "Oh, c'mon Piccolo. Have a little more faith in me will yah? I didn't just go for the full blast and absorb technique today. I've been slowly working my way up to it. I'm not like Vegeta or Goku—trust me, I wouldn't try to cripple myself just on the off chance of reaching another insane power up level milestone."**

**Grunting, he eyed her more closely, reaching out to brush the rogue strands of a bang out of her face and behind her ear as he grumbled, "Yeah well…I still don't like the idea of you doing this on your own. So, don't, alright?"**

**Sofia's heart fluttered at that, the closest thing to being told, 'I love you and you had me worried!' she'd ever get from her lover. Still, she couldn't suppress the smile that quirked her lips as she grabbed the front of his cape and pulled him close for a kiss on the lips.**

**Piccolo grunted into the kiss before pulling her close and deepening the gesture.**

**"What's with the weird outfit?" he mumbled against her lips when they parted from the kiss, eyeing the getup with a sharp look before giving her a rueful glance.**

**"Hey—we can't all pull off shoulder pads AND a cape, okay?" she quipped and let him help her stand. "Unlike you, I just can't fight comfortably wearing baggy clothes. This getup was also the best way I could think of for wearing weighted gear that molded to my body and would stay in place," she explained. After realizing she couldn't snap herself into any garments made of metal ores—which explained why Kyouran had to rely on getting her armor breastplate repaired, she remembered that Saiyan armor was flexible—almost like corseted fiber-woven plating that absorbed and redistributed blows. Snapping herself a version of the armor that was of a higher density would be perfect for her to train in. She pulled off the heavy armor and tossed it to crash with a loud thud to the white chamber floor. "Whew! That feels better," she huffed and stretched her back, extending her arms straight up and standing on her tippy toes before wobbling and being caught by Piccolo. Leaning against him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and purred, "So, have you been spying on me or not?"**

**Rolling his eyes, he let her continue to lean on him as she battled with pulling her feet free of the weighted boots. "Spying is such a strong word…" was his feigned grumble before he snorted at the skeptical glance she shot him. "Alright, I was curious about just what kind of training you've been up to on your own, so I've peeked in on you from time to time," he admitted with a shrug as she snapped her fingers to make the weighted gear disappear and to materialize normal biker boots onto her feet.**

**"Well—what did you think then? If I keep practicing, I can learn to absorb all sorts of massive energy attacks and use them to juice up my own ki," she declared with more glee than she'd intended, so she cleared her throat and shrugged, "I mean, at least in theory. That way instead of causing a lot of collateral damage from deflecting an attack, I can use it to my advantage and supercharge myself."**

**"Think you could do that with a Special Beam Cannon?" he smirked, crossing his arms and giving her a quirked brow that was the telltale sign that he was trying to wind her up.**

**"Hmmm…well I don't know. Right now, there's only one special cannon I want to try out," she skillfully purred after moving close to him and languidly trailing her fingers up his arm and across to his chest before capturing his wide-eyed stare with a flirty glance up through her long lashes.**

**Flustered, he shook away the blush her raunchy proposition caused and barked incredulously, "Just how in the world do you come up with that lascivious shit all the time?"**

**"Stick with me, Namek, and you'll be properly trained in the art of the naughty clapback in no time," she snickered and gave him a scintillating smirk before snapping in her best Vegeta impression, "Now let's head back to the palace. I'm famished!"**

**Face-faulting to the floor, Piccolo remained there as she stood over and giggled down on him.**

**_I'm gonna need one of those long hot baths after this…_ **

* * *

 

**It felt great to be able to meditate with an unobstructed mind and a centered psyche once again. Piccolo reached so many moments of clarity through the practice that having gone without meditation for so long really had done a number on his ability to concentrate on clearing his mind and letting peace reign over his senses.**

**"** …you see the colors in me like no one else…You're something else…You're really lovely, Underneath it all. And you want to love me, Underneath it all… **"**

**He could dimly hear her singing under her breath in the kitchen as she washed her lunch dishes, a soft melodious tone free of any affect or imitation he'd come to know as a sign that she was in a content and wistful mood.**

**After returning from the chamber's void, Sofia had encountered zero resistance from him when she drew a hot bath for them and began stripping him of his clothes. She did encounter a very assertively sensual Namek once she'd joined him in the tub, however, and their long hot bath quickly became the venue for another passionate session of lovemaking and post-coital relaxation. The tight confine of the bathtub was actually pretty cozy when she was straddling him and gave them the perfect excuse to press against each other and kiss languidly.**

**"** …but lately you've been trying real hard, And giving me your best. And, you give me the most gorgeous sleep that I've ever had… **" she sung to herself and she dried the dishes and put them back in the cabinet before going to glance out at the main room.**

**She continued humming the chorus to herself as she leaned against the doorframe and let her mind replay their sultry bath session earlier as she stared at him from the meditative state he was currently eased into. He was back in his usual attire, shoulder pads and turban-clad head bowed with his features softened from the relaxing docility of the moment, quietly in his meditative pose. Sighing fawningly in her mind, she thought for the hundredth time how much she loved him. Then she wondered if it would always be like this. _We're in an isolated chamber—of course it won't last. But dammit, I'm too happy to care right now. I just want to prolong this…_**

**Piccolo's mind was finally clear. His senses were just about the point of reaching cathartic blissfulness.**

**'Hey Piccolo…? You all zen yet?' the plucky telepathic whisper cut through his concentration, and caused the seasoned Namekian warrior to frown despite himself.**

**Opening one eye, he glanced up at her from his lotus position in the middle of the main room. His gaze caressed up her curvaceous bare legs to her short shorts, lingered on the hint of her midriff before glancing over her tight crop-top shirt to finally anchor onto her crimson eyes. 'I was getting there…why?' the tentative and gruff question was quickly answered by her joining him in the lotus position directly in front of him.**

**Her knees brushing against his shins, Sofia placed her hands on his knees as she leaned forward to be almost nose to nose with him as she telepathically chirped, 'Teach me how to meditate?'**

**Blinking at her, Piccolo pressed his lips together until they formed a thin line before he responded, 'What? Why the sudden interest in meditating?!'**

**Pouting morosely, she grumbled, 'Well, my boombox is out of commission, and while I could just go slowly mad in these idle moments, I figured trying a new hobby could be a good way to keep myself occupied. Unless you'd like me to start doing a capella-style karaoke to fill the quiet—'**

**'Ok, yeah…it couldn't hurt giving meditating a try,' he interjected gruffly, cocking an brow ridge at her knowingly. 'Although, I don't think you could quiet your mind long enough to clear your thoughts and focus to succeed in a decent meditation session,' he challenged, earning a defiant smirk from Sofia.**

**'Alright, if I can't, then there's always other more provocative diversions I could occupy myself in that'd just involve you getting naked—'**

**'See? You're already failing at this,' he grunted, adding, 'Get your mind off of everything. No smartass or goofy stuff. Just quietly reflect on…nothing. Close your eyes,' he paused until she did as he instructed, then he took her hands from his knees and folded them in her lap. 'Let your mind ease away from focusing on anything other than your natural breathing. Slowly, you'll feel your mind relax, and then if you keep that up, your mind will clear and you'll meditate on things that come to you. But don't try to linger on any one thing. Just be a neutral observer. Concentrate without concentrating on anything other than the stillness you feel.'**

**Sofia let his telepathic words seep into her as she slowly willed her thoughts to quiet and tried focusing on his steps. Before long, Piccolo watched her breathe in and out calmly, her eyes closed and countenance relaxed as she slowly slipped into a meditative state.**

**_This is…actually nice._ ** **Her stray thought seemed to echo to her in the clearness of her blank mind, until she realized she couldn't feel her surroundings anymore. What felt like minutes bled away into no real concept of time in the internal silence that pressed in and around her. Then, the stark clarity of her mind began to feel pulled upwards until a variation of flashes started to cross her thoughts in rapid succession. She saw a battlefield riddled with rock formations and plateaus that seemed eerily familiar. Then she felt flashes of sensations that began to take shape in her mind's eye. She saw herself, standing alone in the battlefield and looking up at a blinding figure obscured by the skyline. The figure was then on one of the plateaus, turning towards a surprise blow he hadn't anticipated.**

**Mirai Trunks flashed in her mind in slow motion. He stood mortally wounded by the blow that spun him around towards his attacker before falling to his knees. Sofia realized the hulking figure before him was King Cold, then the scene shifted to flashes of global annihilation before a flurry of images that made no sense to her sprung forth unbidden. She watched how suddenly, her arm being branded by a scorching black tribal-like vine that began to coalesce across her skin from some power within her. It was the last thing she saw before she felt herself dig her talon-like nails into her palms to pull herself out of the chaotic visions.**

**"—ia! Sofia, what's wrong?!" She finally snapped out of her turbulent meditation and realized she was panting and being shaken by Piccolo. His worried features came into clarity as her frenzied gaze focused. "Hey…are you alright?"**

**Staring up wide-eyed at him, she slowly looked down at her hands and realized she'd pierced her palms deep with her pointed black nails and was drawing blood. "Oh my god…" she gasped not from the pain, but from the frenzy of thoughts that swam back at her.**

**"What the hell was that?! One minute you were fine and the next you began struggling. I couldn't get through to you," he explained in a troubled tone as he took his hands off her shoulders and forced her fisted palms to relax into his grip.**

**After a long silence, she exhaled a shaky breath.**

**"…You've seen premonitions in your meditation before, right? Like when you sensed something bad was going to happen before Garlic Jr. attacked?" she slowly whispered, her gaze unfocusing as she turned her vision internally to the image of Future Trunks falling in battle.**

**Troubled, Piccolo's gaze bore down on her as he groused, "You're telling me you saw something…? That doesn't happen normally—"**

**"Piccolo, can you see shit that hasn't happened yet in meditation, or can it be your mind fucking with you?" she cut him off, her eyes finally focusing on his again.**

**"…It's very rare, but yeah—meditating can allow your mind to become aware of disturbances and sense things that could be on the horizon of happening. What I felt before Garlic Jr. attacked wasn't really a premonition, but they could happen…" he replied stoically, uneasy that she was so rattled.**

**After a tense silence, Sofia jumped up and started pacing in a state of worry. He watched her internally debate for a long pause. Then she suddenly stopped and looked at him with the most caustic expression etched in her features.**

**"We have to leave the Time Chamber."**

**Blinking at her, Piccolo jumped up and sweatdropped as he barked, "WHAT?! But we're nowhere near done training—"**

**"Doesn't matter. We have to leave. Today. Now. I feel it in my bones—" she paused, and grabbed his forearms as she pleadingly added, "My mind is not fucking with me. Something bad is going to happen that is NOT supposed to happen. We have to leave."**

**Taking in her earnest expression, Piccolo let her serious words weigh in the air as he turned his questioning inward. 'Can you show me what you saw?'**

**Sofia shook her head. 'Not without explaining a whole hell of a lot that you can't know about yet. Please…trust me,' she explained and pleaded. 'Maybe nothing will happen…but I don't think that was something to ignore.'**

**He hesitated; then, as quickly as all the questions had sprung in his mind, he batted them away and nodded. 'Fine. Get packed and let's go…' he stated telepathically as he caressed her cheek protectively. 'I'm guessing you know we're in no way ready to face Frieza at our current levels…I mean if I could sense your power level, it'd most likely be a match to mine, and there's little chance we'll be a match against him in his final form,' he added stoically to submerge his brooding.**

**Sofia internally hesitated with wanting to tell him he didn't have to worry about that, but she knew it'd only open a Pandora's box of issues she couldn't get into with him just yet. _Telling him we're not even getting a chance to battle Frieza is going to throw him for a loop and question everything we've been doing up to this point in here…I don't want him to hate me for omitting things—it's such a huge betrayal to his trust…I can't stand the thought of it alienating everything between us now._**

**"I know. I'm not afraid though. We'll figure it out. After all, you've trained me," she answered serenely and he watched as her eyes began to gleam with what he could only describe as purposeful devotion. "And dammit, we're a kickass duo. Frieza ain't got nothing on us!" she declared with confidence and kissed him. Piccolo wryly grunted into the kiss. Then she pulled away and proclaimed, "Alright! Let me get to cleaning and we can go!"**

**Sweatdropping again, he watched her march into the kitchen and lope back with cleaning supplies before she snapped her fingers and materialized a bandana that she wrapped around her head to keep her hair out of her face. "Clean?! But why? Popo can deal with it and I thought there was all this urgency—!"**

**"It'll take me 5 minutes to get things spick and span, babe. I'm not going to be a slovenly houseguest!" she interjected and before he could open his mouth to argue, she shot off like a bolt of lighting, phasing in and out all over the small palace as she scrubbed, shined, buffed, and polished the surfaces clean—occasionally snapping her fingers to materialize fresh linens and towels in her wake as she went. She was like a whirlwind now because of her intense training with the weighted gear, light as a feather and quick as a flash—materializing like a specter around him momentarily to move him from his spot so she could scrub the tile he stood on before phasing out again. He looked up at the clock and sure enough, a few minutes had zipped by when Sofia suddenly appeared in front of him with an accomplished Cheshire cat grin without having broken a sweat—the cleaning supplies returned to their rightful place as all the surfaces around them gleamed and sparkled pristinely. "Whew! All done," she chirped as she brushed her index finger across the tip of her nose and stifled a sneeze. "You wouldn't believe how dusty those hourglasses were. Anyway, I'm all packed," she continued as she quickly snapped her fingers and materialized a completely new outfit before swinging her little backpack onto her left shoulder before asking, "How do I look?"**

**He gave her a sharp once over from head to toe, and back up again. She looked like a gorgeous Western Capital resident—save for her height and red eyes. Formfitting dark blue jeggings with shredded and frayed cuts at the knees, a magenta off the shoulder long sleeved top with thumbholes that showed a hint of her tight navel with 2 lime green suspenders keeping it anchored to hang just below her clavicle while both of her elbows had turquoise-outlined cutouts—matching the turquoise stripe outlining the hem of the top—allowed her to flex her arms unobstructed. Completing the whacky color combination were a pair of old-fashioned brown lace up combat boots with red shin-high socks. She tossed her hair free and put on some lipstick to accentuate her already-curvaceous lips before shooting him a wink and blowing him a kiss.**

**Piccolo's expression comically tensed as he tried to fight sweatdropping again. "Uh—are we going to a battle or to a fashion show at Capsule Corp?!" he finally grumbled.**

**She shrugged her shoulders and declared, "Well—both. Kind of."**

**Huffing, Piccolo crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "I give up. Can we go now?"**

**Her smile suddenly faltered, as if a realization just hit her. _We're going to leave…and be around everyone for the first time since we've become something…it won't be just he and I anymore. We won't be just…us._**

**Piccolo read her expression, and stepped close to her as he shook her shoulder affectionately. "Hey, quit worrying. Nothing changes—"**

**"Yeah it does. You're telling me once we walk out of this chamber, we can be us? What we've been to each other…with each other in here; that we'd be able to be the same while out in the world?" she cut in, hesitating as she added, "Once we walk out of here, it won't be just us anymore…"**

**He absorbed her words, and contemplated them quietly before he took her hand and led her to the large wooden door that was the only entrance and exit to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The clocks above the door displayed all the time measurements for how long they'd been in the chamber versus the time difference outside of the chamber. Sofia barely registered it'd been close to 6 months that they'd been together in the magical time-bending palace and void before her thoughts became conflicted with her desire to remain isolated with her twin star—just her and him sheltered from the intruding will of the world outside, when she felt Piccolo's hand tighten before he interlocked his long tapered fingers with hers.**

**Pausing in front of the door, Piccolo turned and surprised her when he declared, "It'll still be us. Just…in private. When it's you and me…we'll still be us. But I don't think it's anyone else's business. Not even Gohan's; least not until we figure out all the other stuff—but we're not going to worry about any of that. Not right now. You…you mean something to me. I don't think that's going to change ever…" he paused, then added in a whisper, "You and I won't change, Sofia."**

**The surge of pride and unfettered love that blossomed inside of her at the power of his words was unlike anything she'd felt before. Her heart felt heavy and light all at the same time. She smiled up at his stoic gaze, knowing just how much trust it took for him to express his desires—how much he had to trust her to be able to say those words not just to express his feelings, but to put her at ease. It was one of the most romantic things he'd said to her, and she cherished it.**

**"So does that mean no kissing in public?"**

**His stoic gaze intensified to something searing as he surprised her yet again by pulling her close and kissing her on the lips.**

**'Yeah.'**

**Snickering into the kiss, Sofia wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her against him until she had to stand on her tippy toes to stay anchored to the kiss.**

**'Fine…but if you don't get me alone after a while, I'm going to have to pounce on you,' she purred at him telepathically as she deepened the kiss. 'Regardless of who's around,' she added as they ended the make out session.**

**Huffing in amusement, Piccolo shook his head at that before declaring, "Alright, enough stalling. Put the mushy stuff on the back burner. We gotta go."**

**Nodding at him, she turned to face the door, the trepidation of before only a small ripple in the back of her mind as he wrapped his hand around the handle. Before he opened the door, he reached his left hand back and took hers again.**

**The gesture was more profound than any kiss he could've given her then. Looking at the strong resolve that shone in his eyes, Sofia squeezed his hand, silent affirmation that she was ready.**

**Clicking audibly, the door opened with a heavy creak as the light and air from outside began to filter into the palace before the twin stars exited the time chamber that had been the only witness to the trials, tribulations and tenderness that anchored them together as equals.**

**They never looked back.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song lyric featured in this chapter is from No Doubt's "Underneath It All".


	20. The Merits of Interference

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_**

**Mr. Popo hummed a light tune as he happily swept the floor, enjoying the monotony of his daily chore and overall caretaking of the Lookout grounds. The ebony genie paused a moment to observe a whimsical butterfly as it fluttered across from him and dipped down to rest on the banister he'd polished earlier. Smiling, he chuckled and stepped over to watch the delightful and delicate creature flutter its wings before eventually taking flight again. He was at the top of the staircase that led to the walkway towards the unassuming door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when he sighed and resumed sweeping.**

**Below him, Kami was contemplating his decision to omit the knowledge that had awakened in the repressed recesses of his memories. The series of unfortunate events from long ago had motivated his decision to not tell the woman who'd once been a fearsome destroyer of monsters and the reincarnation of his own malevolent counterpart of their spiritual connection. The knowledge had trickled slowly back to him over the course of meeting Sofia and watching her interact with Piccolo. He'd felt conflicted about holding back what he knew, but deep down, the resoluteness of his intention couldn't be denied.**

**They had to be revealed to each other by one another. To have interfered with the natural progression of things blossoming between them would've led to a dangerous amount of trauma, while possibly having stunted any real transformative growth that needed to happen between the twin stars.**

**Still, he couldn't help worry. He might be considered divinity to many mortals, but he wasn't infallible. Scowling, the elder Namekian and guardian of Earth climbed the staircase leading up to the walkway his longtime friend Mr. Popo was dutifully keeping tidy when he heard the distinct clicking of a door echo down to him.**

**Reaching the top of the staircase, Kami glanced over at the curve of the walkway before hurriedly closing the distance between he and his friend.**

**Mr. Popo had paused in his task and was currently looking over at the large wooden door, as it swung slowly open to reveal Piccolo and Sofia. In awe, Mr. Popo glanced at Kami, who'd come to stand beside him as he too stared wide eyed at the couple, honing in instantly at their interlocked hands as they emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber out to the fresh and sunny day shining across the Lookout.**

**Piccolo was glancing at her, and she at him as they exited, as if they were silently communicating—their hands remaining interlocked as she smiled serenely and leaned playfully against him. His younger and usually reticent counterpart not only allowed the gesture, but also seemed to enjoy her closeness. It was quite the contrast to when they'd entered the chamber as quarreling reluctant allies, but now— _What in the world…? Could they have really become gemini equals, truly?_**

**The elder Namek remained shocked, even when Mr. Popo had broken free of his awe to amble over to the pair and greet them jovially. Kami watched as Sofia smiled and hugged his friend as if it'd been ages since she'd seen him. Piccolo remained stoically behind her as she chatted, allowing her to lean affectionately against him as she gushed about her time training and all the changes she'd gone through. _And how she's changed! She looks exactly like Kyouran…except still herself,_ Kami noted, glancing at Piccolo, who'd begun engaging Mr. Popo in actual pleasant conversation.  _My my—what in the world could have initiated such a stark shift in their demeanors?_**

**Unable to help himself, the benevolent sage reached out with his mind and delved into the psyches of the couple, realizing they were now psychically linked. The privilege of skimming through the memory recesses of others without their knowledge came in handy at the moment, allowing him to see what amounted to a flurry of events that had transpired between the twin stars over the span of 6 months for them. From their strife, to their moments of true hostility, to the surprising quiet and tender moments they'd shared—Kami was able to see what no one else had witnessed.**

**Including the moments of sensual intimacy between them.**

**Mini reveries of Sofia laughing and letting her guard down intertwined with Piccolo's begrudging intrigue becoming a powerful allure towards her began to flash across his mind's eye, showing how their mutual feelings had pulled them together in a magnetic attraction that seeped from mind, soul…and eventually body.**

**Like a powder keg of emotional fireworks, he watched their eventual enthralling unity become sumptuously lustful—blossoming from the first kiss to the awkward yet beguiling encounter of their first sultry moment when she was bemused by her dream, to then careening into scampering reveries of their multiple sessions of lovemaking. Flashes of Sofia and Piccolo amorously entwined against each other, unabashedly relishing in the carnal delight each was giving and taking from the other, flooded his telepathic vision. Scenes of passionate entanglements fell into sequences that ran the spectrum of tender coition, to torrid-yet-playful coupling—like the sudden flash of Sofia being tossed onto a purple bed to be quickly joined by Piccolo, their eyes heavy-lidded as the imposing Namek boldly pressed into her and claimed her with possessive desire while she arched and clutched at his chest before they carried on into making love with burning need and yearning until they climaxed heartily, leading them to savor the sensual moment of post-coital bliss as Piccolo pulled Sofia close to him while they lounged in warm repose with each other—**

**'…Old man—?!'**

**His younger counterpart's baritone grouse cut through Kami's psychic interloping and left him staring nonplussed at the other Namek, who was now fighting a blush of shocked embarrassment as he glared aghast at his older half.**

**'Uhhh…'**

**Unbeknownst to Sofia, who was still congenially carrying on with Mr. Popo, both Nameks sweatdropped and began averting their gazes in utter mortification of each other—one because he realized his older half had totally just gotten a mental eyeful while the other had to grapple with feeling like a lecherous peeping Tom.**

**Finally snapping her sentence short, Sofia glanced at Piccolo, then over at Kami, realizing she had yet to greet the elder. "Oh—hey Kami! Long time no see," she remarked and started to walk over to him when she felt the weird-yet-goofy tension between the two Nameks. Glancing back and forth, she narrowed her eyes conspiratorially as she drawled, "What's up with you two?"**

**"Nothing!" both shouted unconvincingly in unison, causing Sofia to sweatdrop.**

**Putting a hand on her hip and tapping her foot, she mused, "Why do you both look like you got caught doing some weird shit then?"**

**'Not a word, old man—!'**

**'As if I would be so obscene as to say anything, you dolt—'**

**'Oh, obscene like taking a psychic stroll through our memories and watching us?!'**

**'I did not INTEND to watch anything—'**

**'Well who the hell invited you to be a creepy voyeur—?!'**

**'Gentlemen!' Nail suddenly chimed in. 'Any more of a prolonged pause and she'll start twisting your ears to get you both to talk, so I suggest you both hush,' the raspy grunted remark was stifling amusement, but still managed to sound forceful.**

**"Well? What is up with you—oh wait," Sofia began before pausing, "I get it…"**

**Piccolo telepathically cursed while Kami mentally gulped.**

**"Are you both telepathically berating each other about why we had to leave the time chamber early?"**

**Both Nameks face-faulted to the ground, leaving Sofia with a perplexed expression, as she confusedly looked over at Mr. Popo in silent question.**

**"Oh, I hope whatever they're suffering isn't contagious," the ebony genie joked as he went over to help Kami while Sofia grabbed Piccolo.**

**Both standing, Piccolo grunted and moodily crossed his arms with a huff of disdain while Kami coughed and cleared his throat.**

**"Well, now that you mention it, you both did leave the chamber before the full 24 hours originally intended," Kami realized and directed his inquisitive gaze to Sofia, before glancing at Piccolo.**

**"Yeah…about that. How long have we been in the chamber? Is everything alright down on Earth?" Sofia inquired, her demeanor becoming earnest as she rushed forward and paused before directing her gaze upwards to the Southeast quadrant of the sky.**

**_Holy hell…is that…?!_ **

**"Everything is fine. You've been in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for roughly 12 hours—" Kami's explanation was cut off by her crimson gaze flashing back to his before darting back at Piccolo.**

**_Don't they FEEL that?! It's far off still…but I can feel it pinging in the back of my skull…_ **

**The two Namekians exchanged a perplexed look before Sofia surprised them both by hopping over the walkway's banister to suddenly blast off to the edge of the Lookout to peek down at the fluffy clouds as they trekked by languidly and broke up in certain spots to reveal the splendor of the world below. She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind as far as she could, trying to catalogue all the higher than normal power levels before she honed onto them.**

**"Sofia! What's wrong—?" Piccolo began as he phased to stand next to her, but cut himself off as she breathed a sigh of relief.**

**"Nothing. We're not too late," she mused quietly as she looked over at him, before glancing back to the palace entrance as Kami and Popo walked past the threshold and out into the sprawling main courtyard. "There's still time to ask Kami about…you know," she ventured, turning towards him to take his hand again. "Just don't yell at him, ok?" she warned with a wry smile as Piccolo glanced over at his counterpart and huffed.**

**"To hell with that," he began, and earned a scoff from Sofia. "I get the divine intervention thing he likes to pull on people, but I do _not_  appreciate being toyed with—"**

**"I'd hardly call him omitting stuff being 'toyed with,' babe," she quipped, earning a glowering look from him. "Yeah, I know. I'm trying to get all the pet names out of my system, but who knows the next time when I'll have you all to myself?" she offered with genuine affection as she put her hands behind her back and leaned against his side, earning a long amused huff from Piccolo.**

**Kami watched them from the distance. _Thank goodness. They're both stronger…and united. It's a bond I could've never imagined._ The anxiety and second-guessing could finally be put to bed. Sure, there was still a lot to be decided on in regards to Sofia's presence in this realm, but he now had confidence that all of that would be resolved, one way or another. The worst part was over now; only a bright future seemed to be on the horizon.**

**Suddenly phasing in front of the elder Namek, Sofia and Piccolo took their distinctive stances next to each other as they looked skeptically at the guardian of Earth. "You both have questions, I know—"**

**"No shit, and you know what they are, so start talking—" Piccolo began to demand when Sofia playfully elbowed him in the side.**

**"Oh, for the love of Saiyans—would you quit it? I don't want you two arguing back and forth. We ain't got the time," she chided congenially. "Listen, we know you put a block on any memories involving Daimaou and my past life, and then put a blockade on those recessive memories in Piccolo's mind, but I just want to know…" she paused, leaving everyone hanging on her words before she leaned forward and snapped, "did you always know I'd turn him into a full-on sexually-liberated-swinging-it-like-a-boss dude?!"**

**Now it was everyone but Sofia face-faulting to the ground as she chuckled goofily in the middle and scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, I needed an ice breaker."**

**"DAMMIT—YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BRING THAT UP, SOFIA!" Piccolo towered over her as he barked in fuming embarrassment while she held up her hands in surrender and laughed.**

**"How could I NOT bring it up, Piccolo?! It's sort of a HUGE deal—like, real big…" she retorted provocatively and batted her lashes at him.**

**_Well, at least they haven't changed THAT much…_ ** **Kami mused humorously to himself as he watched them bicker.**

**"Wait—you said there isn't much time?" the benevolent elder inquired, and glanced between the couple. "Why did you leave the chamber early?"**

**"Oh yeah…well without getting into specifics, I sensed something bad was going to happen and we wouldn't be there to help if it did actually happen," Sofia responded and looked up at that same quadrant of sky she had earlier. "And now that we're out of the chamber…I definitely think leaving was the right thing," she whispered and glanced back at Kami. "I have questions, but I think they're going to have to wait. Piccolo?" she glanced over at her twin star and put her hand on her hip, leaning in that casual pose he'd come to know as her falling back in deferment gesture.**

**Crossing his arms and scowling over at his elder counterpart, Piccolo curtly replied, "I only want to know why you didn't just tell me from the beginning. I get blocking everything out to prevent my sire from remembering and pursuing the whole twin star business, but why keep it from me?"**

**Sighing, Kami stepped closer until he and Piccolo were staring stoically at each other. "I was afraid you'd fight it and refuse to let things happen naturally. I didn't want to interfere. Also…" the elder Namek diverted his gaze before adding, "I was worried that history would repeat itself, with even more dire consequences this time, if I'd influenced you both."**

**Grunting, Piccolo glanced at Sofia. 'I don't like it…but it makes sense.'**

**Sofia nodded, and came up beside Kami, surprising the elder when she hugged him. "It's okay, Kami. We forgive you—"**

**"Speak for yourself," Piccolo cut in, back to scowling.**

**Huffing dramatically, Sofia stepped back from embracing the other half of her Namekian lover before barking, "Oh alright—c'mon, then. We can't stand here so you can berate him all day. We got stuff to check up on."**

**"Humph, fine. We'll be back, old man," Piccolo offered as farewell as he turned with a flutter of his cape and stalked away to cross the center of the courtyard towards the edge of the Lookout.**

**"For what it's worth, I'm glad you didn't tell us," Kami glanced away from Piccolo's retreating form back to Sofia. "Was it ideal? Hell no! But…I don't think I would've wanted it to have gone differently. Thank you," she remarked with a genuine smile before raising her hand in farewell and moving in a flash to be next to Piccolo at the Lookout's edge.**

**"You're welcome," the benevolent guardian of Earth whispered with a soft smile as he watched the twin stars look across the expanse of the sky, expecting them to hop off and take flight, side by side.**

**Instead, Sofia glanced over at Piccolo before cozying up to him. "Since this will be the last time for a while…can I have a kiss?" she mused flirtatiously up at him, draping her arms over his shoulder pads as he stared intensely down at her.**

**"You already got one before we left the chamber," he tersely muttered, but couldn't submerge the edge of a smirk that was pulling at his lips.**

**She sighed fawningly before encircling her hands behind his neck.**

**"Fine, but I've always wanted to do this…"**

**"Do what—?" Piccolo began before she suddenly tipped herself backwards and pulled him along with her as they dove off the Lookout edge to fall through the clouds at a quick pace.**

**Grunting in surprise, Piccolo encircled her waist and held her close to him as she tightened her grip around his neck, the world zipping past them and the rush of the air zooming by as she giggled and pulled him down to meet her lips. 'Freefall kiss,' she mused telepathically after they both instinctually willed ki to flow and propel them up and diagonal to barrel together through the sky.**

**'You're insatiable, you know that?!' he chided as he let go of his grip on her so they would fall side by side in flight formation, squeezing her hand before letting it go.**

**Glancing over at the handsome Namek, Sofia smiled to herself before countering, 'Can you blame me?'**

**'…And you're gonna be able to keep it in check when we haven't been out of the chamber for more than 20 minutes?' he quipped, shaking his head as she huffed loudly over their telepathic rapport, none the wiser that his lips were smudged with her lipstick.**

**'Ye of little faith! I figured it didn't count in front of Kami and Popo. And I didn't get any complaints from you—'**

**'Alright, fine. That didn't count,' he interjected before continuing with his telepathic inquiry, 'Where are we going?' He glanced sidelong at her as they jetted through the sky, keeping their energy trails stifled from spilling out their spiritual auras.**

**'If I've guessed correctly, our first stop should be Mt. Paozu to check in on Gohan,' she replied, adding, 'I know you'd like me to explain—'**

**Piccolo shook his head. 'No need,' he cut in, coming short of saying, _I trust you,_ but he thought of it.**

**Nodding, Sofia smiled and winked at him. 'Alright—I'll race you there!' she smirked before willing a burst of ki to shoot down and cause a red energy contrail to cut through the sky ahead of him as she sped off. Ruefully shaking his head, Piccolo followed her lead, blasting a torrent of ki to propel him like a missile across the sky to quickly catch up to her.**

**She spun around and shot down like she was a speed demon jetting along, yahoo'ing all the way until he barreled past her with a confident wave for her to eat his dust. Cackling, she sped back into her competitive zeal and gained on him as they saw the edge of the lush green valleys and mountains appear ahead. Slowing down, they coursed across the sky side by side and admired the beautiful terrain that made up Mount Paozu—the home of the Son family, appearing in the valley just over yonder.**

**Just as they neared the other end of the valley where the humble residence rested, Piccolo and Sofia stopped in mid-air and watched as suddenly someone got flung out of one of the bedroom windows of the cottage, and was quickly followed by a ranting and furious Chi-Chi as she began to chase the man around the entire property until she ran him out of the valley.**

**"What the—" Piccolo began, pausing when Sofia slapped her hands over her mouth and started giggling. The gesture reminded him of King Kai when he'd badly stifle his idiotic chortled laughter. "Uhhh…"**

**"Alright! Perfect timing," Sofia declared and fist pumped before glancing over at him. "Thanks for trusting me, Piccolo. We couldn't have planned this any better," she offered, her expression looking lovely to him as her rouged lips quirked to reveal her dazzling smile and her eyes crested with mirth. "I got an idea. Just follow my lead, okay?"**

**"Isn't that what I've been doing up to now?" he quipped acerbically back, smirking when she grunted with humor and shrugged as if to say "indeed!" before she floated over and wiped the rouge kiss print of her lips off of his.**

**He rolled his eyes, about to harangue her on not wearing that crap if she insisted on kissing on him all the time, but instead let the comment die when she glanced back at the Son residence with a pensive air to her features.**

**_It'll be an exercise in impulse control for the both of us at this rate._ ** **He mused to himself before muttering telepathically, 'Lead the way…but try to keep it kid-friendly, would yah?'**

**Sofia glanced back at him, and winked, with a wicked smile curling her lips.**

* * *

 

**It had been a stressful short period for the demi-Saiyan. After saying goodbye to his friends, Gohan had come home to find his mother ready and resolute that he'd stick to his studies. Not only that, but she'd hired a supercilious and overbearing tutor that had tested his temper unlike anything since his escapades on Namek. Gohan was still glancing out the window his mother had chased said awful tutor through when he heard a familiar flutter.**

**"Hello, Gohan."**

**Startled, the young hybrid glanced up and caught sight of Piccolo and Sofia. _Wait…is that really her?!_  The surprised look in his eyes only widened when the visitors landed in front of his window. Hopping over the windowsill, Gohan balked up at Sofia, who was now much taller than she'd been not even half a day ago. He registered all the changes she'd undergone, zipping all around her as she stood like a poised and stoic sentinel before him. **

**"Whoa…wow Sofia! You got super tall—and wow your eyes are red?! And hey—you're—"**

**"Easy, kid. She's definitely changed a lot, but we sort of knew that was gonna happen, remember?" Piccolo interjected; getting Gohan to direct his wide and curious stare back up at his sensei. "Besides all that—"**

**"Hello, Gohan. It is so nice to see you again. I hope you have been well," Sofia cut in in the same stoic and robotic tone she'd originally used, causing Gohan to sweatdrop as Piccolo set his jaw and eyed her. "I hope you have been keeping up with your studies and are on the fast track to becoming a scholar—"**

**"Uhhh…yeah, I've been studying, but are you alright? You seem…different?" Gohan took a cautious step back as he eyed her. "I mean, it's just you sound really different now—"**

**"What ever do you mean, Son Gohan? I am still the same amiable friend from yesterday. My transformation has not altered my personality," the stoic android-like composure of her tone and expression now even made Piccolo sweatdrop. "Now let us converse over batteries—I mean human food for eating, ha-ha-ha," she continued and watched as Gohan went from curious to fighting an awkward blue blush of unease before she finally couldn't hold back. "Pfffft-HAHAHAHAH! You should see the look on your FACE! Buahahhahah," she suddenly burst into guffaws as Piccolo groaned humorlessly while Gohan face-faulted to the ground. She continued to cackle until tears were in her eyes and she was leaning on Piccolo for support while the Namek rolled his eyes and shot Gohan a perturbed glance.**

**"Hey! No fair—" Gohan shouted with relieved laughter as he playfully shoved Sofia, who was so solid now she didn't even budge under his hybrid strength.**

**"Hahah—I gotcha, and you were totally quaking in your little brown shoes, admit it!" she joked, leaning down to playfully noogie his coarse raven-haired scalp as she added, "I saw your mom running off that Mr. Shu tool tutor of yours."**

**Laughing, Gohan grinned, "Yeah—he wasn't a very nice man. But hey—how was that chamber?! You feel much stronger now, Piccolo."**

**"We had to cut our time in their short. Something's coming. Sofia sensed it—" Piccolo began as he crossed his arms before Sofia suddenly leaned over and elbowed him.**

**"Nevermind that. Besides that Mr. Shu jerk, everything else been okay since we left?" she interrupted before leaning down to be at eye-level with Gohan.**

**"Well yeah…why? Should I—?"**

**"Nope. Nevermind, kid. We were just checking. I felt like we needed to leave the chamber early, and so far it seems like that was a good idea. Still—don't worry about it. Next stop is over at Capsule Corp., but I'm glad you're doing well," she offered instead, giving him a reassuring look as she patted his shoulder and stood to her height.**

**"Oh ok…but would you tell me if something wasn't alright?" the intelligent young boy remarked, glancing between both his friends.**

**Piccolo deferred to Sofia, who responded smoothly, "I'd tell you to just stay on ready, if anything. We have to go, but hey, no worries; we'll see each other sooner than you think, ok?"**

**Nodding, Gohan announced, "Ok, I'll 'stay on ready,' sure. Say hi to Bulma for me, then. Maybe after I finish my homework, I can meet up with you guys later?"**

**Piccolo nodded after Sofia telepathically told him it wouldn't do any harm. "Sure, kid. Now get back inside before your harpy mother catches you," he mused in his baritone grouse before ruffling the boy's hair.**

**"Hahah, ok, see you guys later!"**

**With that, he hopped back through his bedroom window and offered them a wave as Sofia began to levitate upward, waiting for Piccolo to quickly join her. She offered Gohan a 2 fingered salute-style wave before they blasted off in direction to the Western Capital.**

**_Today is the day. Frieza will arrive on Earth sometime this afternoon…I hope everything goes down as it's supposed to._ **

**'I don't see how you're going to be able to keep that up,' Piccolo suddenly cut into her internal musings.**

**Glancing sidelong at him as they zipped at a decent clip across the sky, Sofia settled her features into that unreadable mask he'd come to know well. 'I…don't know either, honestly. But I have to try. Telling someone what will happen can influence their choices and alter the natural course of events—and not always for the better. I want to help, but I think the best I can do is only stepping in if something is off. For better or worse, I don't think I can in good conscience intervene in events even when I know the outcome sucks…'**

**Piccolo reflected on her logic for a few minutes as they flew towards the outskirts of the sprawling Western Capital, the towering buildings and monoliths gleaming under the bright sunny day as the populace milled about in their hover cars and in the throngs of foot traffic across the city streets.**

**She was in the middle of stifling the pinging of the massive power level out on the outskirt of the galaxy that kept reverberating in her mind like a dull psychic sonar fluctuation when she sensed two other power levels flickering in the distance. _Whoa…one is still really far. But the other is zooming closer._ She wondered if she was sensing the two enigmatic and drastically polar opposite Saiyans.**

**'You told us—me—about Frieza still being alive and coming…that influenced the choices I've made,' Piccolo's gruff analysis cut into her thoughts, quickly followed by, 'While you've clearly intervened already by telling us about it, I understand it'll be a fine line for you to balance between without crossing. It's going to be weird…'**

**Humming, she started to worry that the struggle between wanting to help and knowing when to do so without creating any real waves would be too hard to navigate. Could she really feel out the level her influence could have on just being present in a moment, or interacting with others?**

**'Hey,' he snapped her thoughts back and earned a sidelong glance from her as he continue, 'Don't get bogged down. As long as you're being mindful of the information you divulge, I think you can make it work. I'll help you figure it out, in any case.'**

**Smiling demurely, Sofia gave him a curt nod, enjoying his level of candor and willingness to selflessly reassure her even when she knew he'd rather tell her to just stop worrying.**

**The gigantic and iconic domed top of the Capsule Corporation headquarters came into view across the cityscape as they began their descent and slowed their speeds. They jetted around the perimeter of the sprawling grounds and smaller domed edifices before Sofia paused in flight and glanced over to main building. _Yep, they're over on that patio._**

**Hovering over towards a medium-sized patio balcony while still high up in the air, Sofia and Piccolo picked up on the tail end of a conversation between the group of friends that were lounging at a picnic table. The first thing that both noticed was the sea foam blue perm that coifed about as Bulma laughed. _Yikes, that is just not a good look…_ Sofia winced and gave Piccolo a look before he raised a browridge at her and shrugged. **

**"—you kissed him?!" was the irate remark that echoed up from the patio.**

**"It was _just_  a dream, Yamcha! Under all that bluster, he's actually just a big teddy bear—"**

**"What?! You can't be serious, Bulma!"**

**"Haha, busted. You poor sap, you're jealous, arent'cha!" Oolong cackled at Yamcha's expense.**

**"Sounds like it to me."**

**Everyone on the deck looked up at Sofia, who was hovering in mid-air with her arms crossed. Levitating slowly down to the furthest railing, she glanced over at Bulma's startled expression and watched as recognition slowly began to dawn on her.**

**"Sofia?! Is—oh wow, it is you!" she gasped as her cheery mother came onto the patio with a platter balancing tea and other treats and also joined in with an awed exclamation.**

**Raising her hand in casual greeting, Sofia retorted, "Yo. S'been a while—err actually, half a day, huh." Just as she sat balanced precariously on the railing, Bulma zipped over to eye her methodically, cataloguing all her changes.**

**"Bulma, you know this girl?" Yamcha balked, staring at Sofia up and down while Oolong opening gaped at the tall and exotic looking female.**

**"Yeah—but oh man, you look totally different now, but not really all at the same time. If that makes any sense," the heiress of Capsule Corp. exclaimed as she scientifically stared and poked at Sofia, who just snorted and allowed the intrusive inspection.**

**"Yeah, it does. Hey, Mrs. Briefs!" she enthusiastically waved over at the cheerful blonde. "Hope it's okay that we just dropped by. Didn't mean to intrude."**

**"Oh not at all! It's always great to have guests. The more the merrier!" the woman chirped as she went about refilling everyone's drinks.**

**"Wait—'we'?" Yamcha inquired, raising his scarred eyebrow in confusion.**

**"Oh yeah—sorry. You know how he is," Sofia answered smoothly and gestured with her thumb upwards to the domed top of the building, where Piccolo was sitting lotus-style and being antisocial.**

**Balking in shock, Yamcha and Oolong began to sputter in confusion as Mrs. Briefs happily shouted a hello up to the brooding Namek. Piccolo acknowledged them with a curt nod, but didn't budge from his position.**

**"What in the world—ok wait, just who ARE you?! I'm totally out of the loop here," Yamcha whined as he sat up from his chair.**

**"Who said you had to be in the loop to begin with, bub?" Sofia groused and shot him a glare before adding, "Also, you're being hella rude." When the fighter balked with a sweatdrop and looked over at Oolong, who just shrugged in bemusement, Sofia directed her crimson gaze towards Bulma's mother. "Mrs. Briefs, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Weren't you about to say something?" she coaxed as she crossed her arms and went back into her leaning position on the railing.**

**"Oh?" the blonde held a finger thoughtfully to her lip before exclaiming, "Oh yeah! Now I remember. Speaking of Vegeta, your father said that his spaceship should be running out of fuel soon. It'll be nice to have him back—"**

**"Nice?! He's a total jerk! He stole the ship so he could scowl around in space looking for Goku, our friend, remember?! I'd say that'd make him anything but nice," the former desert bandit cut in snidely before dropping back down in his chair and leaning backwards in it with a dismissive huff.**

**"Yeah—that guy gives me the creeps! He seriously scares the bacon out of me. I'm glad he ain't around," Oolong added nasally and earned a grunted agreement from Yamcha.**

**Rolling her eyes, Sofia held her tongue as she suppressed the perturbed throbbing of the vein indicating her temper was flaring and huffed, earning Bulma's attention. "I hope Goku is ok. Can you give us any hint on when he'll be back?" the blue-eyed woman inquired with clasped hands towards Sofia.**

**Sighing, she was about to respond when Yamcha cut in, "How would she know?! I'm still waiting on a proper explanation and introduction, by the way."**

**"Grr—it's none of yer business, dude! Jeez. Bulma, PLEASE tell me you're not still dating this guy," Sofia snarled and showed off her pointed fangs when she sneered, "I've had to listen to him jaw on for 2 minutes and I already wanna pummel him—"**

**"Oh my," Mrs. Briefs chirped as she held her hand in front of her mouth in second-hand embarrassment for Yamcha. "Now now, everyone. There's no need to argue. Sofia, would you like something to drink? And how about you, Piccolo!?" the ditzy blonde asked and shouted the latter sentence up at the Namek, who dug his chin into his chest as he cringed from the woman's piercingly annoying tone.**

**"Whoa! Why're you offering her something to drink after she's bit my head off?!" Yamcha whined sourly, earning a long dramatic scoff from Bulma and another sneer from Sofia.**

**"Oh, look at that—I forgot to check in on the hubby," Mrs. Briefs nervously offered as an excuse to extricate herself from the escalating argument; ambling off back into the headquarters building in her non-confrontational flight mode. "Help yourselves to any snacks and refreshments!" she shouted in her retreat.**

**"Yamcha! Just cool it already. Sofia is a friend and I don't appreciate you being so haughty—"**

**"ME?! She's been nothing but mean to me since she landed! And that reminds me—just how can you even fly when I can't sense a lick of a power level from you? I thought you had to have SOME spiritual energy to be able to muster flying—" the fighter's rant was cut off when Sofia suddenly phased to be in front of the picnic table and leaned in to tower over the self-centered man, who bit his tongue and grimaced at the intense glare she was boring down on him.**

**'Sofia…' Piccolo began to warn when she suddenly pulled her small backpack off, tossed it to an unobtrusive corner of the patio, and sat in the patio chair across from Yamcha and next to Oolong, who was now openly leering at her.**

**Composing herself, she stared back with an unreadable expression on her features as she mused, "That's a lot of story I don't think you're privy to, alright? In any case, I doubt you'd believe it anyway, and I don't feel like arguing with you." She dismissively glanced away from him to Bulma as she continued, "As for Goku: he should be fine. Not too long now until he arrives back to Earth. Oh, and thanks again for giving me the money to buy my mirror, Bulma. You're a real life saver."**

**"Ah, it was nothing! Don't mention it. I'm glad everything seems to have worked out. You definitely have to fill me in on the details, because you've sure evolved big time since I saw you yesterday, and I can't lie – I'm super curious," the congenial woman stated with her hands on her hips as she walked over and leaned back on the railing adjacent to the patio table they were sitting at. "By the way, we're going to barbecue in a little while. You're welcome to hang out and take a load off."**

**Blinking, Yamcha was about to go back into his defensive haranguing when Sofia suddenly shot her gaze upwards to the sky.**

**As if on cue, the flaring contrail of a huge object entering the atmosphere zipped along the sky before honing straight down over the Capsule Corp. grounds. The giant spherical ship began to plummet like dead weight down until it crashed raucously in the courtyard between several smaller domed buildings and the main headquarters edifice. The booming tremor of the crash landing shook them in their seats. Everyone seemed flummoxed by the sudden arrival, except Sofia.**

**"Yeah, you might want to go check on that," Sofia shot over at Yamcha as she leaned back in her seat, unbothered. 'Don't worry. It's only Vegeta,' she mentally offered to Piccolo, who'd grunted in telepathic inquiry to her.**

**Everyone but Oolong rushed down to the courtyard grounds to investigate the source of the crash while Sofia began to peruse the drink options that were clustered on the tabletop. The usually cowardly pig ogled her as she gave up and sighed, his invasive stare zeroing in to gawk opening at her cleavage.**

**"You can look, but you can't touch, pig."**

**Oolong flinched and froze as he glanced up at her glaring crimson stare and could've sworn he saw her eyes glow at him. He gulped loudly. "Uh, I think that's my cue to take off. Tell the gang I'll be seeing them!" The shape-shifter transformed into a pudgy bird and flew off without a second glance.**

**Ignoring the pig's fearful hedging, she focused on listening in to the exchange down from the courtyard before standing from her seat to look down on the action. Sure enough, Capsule 3 opened its door to reveal a surly Vegeta as he walked down onto the ramp and glowered down at Yamcha, Puar and Mrs. Briefs, who was currently spilling tons of tea all over her serving tray. Hopping down from the ship, Vegeta and Yamcha went into their verbal sparring before Bulma sauntered over and diffused the situation.**

**"Now now, boys. The chitchat can wait. After all, does anyone else know what that awful smell is?" she stood between the two warriors before shooting a flirty glance at Vegeta. "Oh, it's you," she offered playfully and pressed her index finger against the Saiyan's battered chestplate. "Looks like you could use a shower," she mused and gestured for him to follow her, to the complete shock of everyone. "What? Are you waiting for, an engraved invitation?" She snapped over her shoulder at the perplexed prince. Instead of the irate reaction they expected, they were all taken aback when the mercurial Saiyan went from slight hesitation to actually begrudgingly following her back towards the headquarters building.**

**Snickering, Sofia loped back over to her original leaning position on the railing that faced the doorway onto the patio when Piccolo came down from the roof to join her, crossing his arms broodingly as he glanced sideways at her. "I can sense Krillin coming this way. Tell me we're not actually gonna stay here all damn day," he grumbled, stare intensifying when she shrugged noncommittally at him.**

**"No, we're not going to stay here all damn day. But if you want, you can hang back until it's time to go," she answered coolly, watching as sure enough, the bald-headed diminutive statured monk flew across the sky towards the headquarters building. Piccolo grunted at her response, but took her up on the offer. He preferred to stay away from social circles when he could, so he took flight to sit at the top of a smaller domed building right across from the high-storied patio.**

**By the time the casually dressed Krillin landed on the balcony, Yamcha and Puar had come back and were filling the shorter fighter in. Unlike her interaction with Yamcha, Sofia went over and shook the former monk's hand, introducing herself smoothly while the scar-faced former bandit sputtered and haughtily sulked at his proven hostile treatment by the imposing and enigmatic woman.**

**Soon enough, Bulma had rejoined them on the patio and was chatting it up when Vegeta began to shout for her from the recesses of the hallway across where a large bathroom sat; he had just emerged from his shower. The classic scene she knew by heart played out where the two stubborn and soon-to-be couple argued back and forth about the merits of a man wearing pink. When the Saiyan emerged in his pink 'Badman' shirt and lime green slacks, Sofia had to stifle a snicker as they all laughed at Bulma's joke.**

**"Stop that! I've killed men for less!" the mercurial prince threatened venomously and cut all the laugher off immediately.**

**Bulma was unruffled by his threat and simply said, "Look, just relax. You can stay here. Goku will be back. I've known him since he was a kid, and he always turns up when you need him the most."**

**Gritting his jaw, the Saiyan scowled and crossed his arms, glaring across the patio and noticing the exotic woman for the first time. She was leaning on the railing as an almost silent spectator. _Never seen her before._ He honed in on her with his mind, and found no trace of a power level coming from the tall and curvaceous woman with the crimson eyes that now locked onto his.  _Pathetic. Even this silly flying rodent emits some paltry power level._**

**"Oh, where are my manners – Vegeta, this is our friend Sofia," Bulma began introducing when she caught the two regarding each other. "Sofia, this is—"**

**Moving so quickly that even he didn't quite register her speed, Sofia was suddenly a couple of feet in front of Vegeta when she cut in, "The Prince of _all_  Saiyans needs no introduction. His reputation spans even across into my dimension, after all." As she spoke the latter, she bowed in a gesture reminiscent to the respectful stance of deference he hadn't seen done since his father King Vegeta was saluted by his Saiyan subjects at court back on Vegetasei. **

**In slight awe, he found himself instinctually returning the gesture, something hardwired into his royal blood even when he began to skeptically eye the woman up and down. _She's in no way a Saiyan, so how could she even know—?_**

**Piccolo's scowl deepened as he watched the display from his vantage point, for some reason feeling displeased at the sense of familiarity she was giving the foul-tempered bastard.**

**"Nice to see someone on this backwater planet knows how to properly show respect to a Saiyan elite," Vegeta smirked and replayed what she'd said, particularly liking the emphasis on ' _all_ 'rather than the typical 'ALL' that people would retort in clear mocking of his title. Then he focused on what she'd said more precisely. "Wait. You said across into your dimension? What in blazes does that mean?" the gruff Saiyan raised a suspicious brow at her as everyone else grunted in acknowledgement to the oddity of the comment as well. Everyone except Bulma; she went over to prep the barbecue that was in the far corner of the patio when Sofia loped over to lend her a hand. **

**"Ah, well it's rather simple. I'm not from this dimension. Long story, but the cliff notes are I've studied this dimension, and know all the major events that are to take place here, so I've come to this dimension to help make sure things don't go off course from their natural progression. I've been trained by Piccolo, so I'm ready to jump in and mix it up if the occasion requires," Sofia explained without much worry as she got the barbecue ready for Bulma, who was sorting out the portions of meat that would be grilled. With the flick of her hand, Sofia produced a ki flame in the middle of her palm and held it over the grill before gesturing for Bulma to step back. "You don't wanna lose that perm, girl," she quipped as she let the flame drop. The grill instantly flared with powerful red flames that quickly ignited all of the charcoal in under a second before sizzling, ready for the spread.**

**Balking, all the men who could sense spiritual energy were at a loss by her subtle-yet-powerful displays, knowing from experience it meant she had to have a sizeable power level to pull off such feats.**

**"Whoa…not bad," Krillin offered as he continued to blink over at the tall girl.**

**Eyeing her with even more suspicion, Vegeta sized her up. She was taller than most Earthly females, but her exotic features were contradictory to the ferocious gleam of her pointed fangs and the otherworldly hue of her crimson eyes. That eye color was rare across most galaxies, and the Saiyan should know – he'd spent most of his life trekking across the universe and coming face-to-face with inhabitants from flung off worlds, not to mention glaring at the jeering red eyes of Frieza under all his years of subjugation. It was a comparison he didn't like, but at least the feeling he got from these red orbs were cool intrigue – free of any guile or hostility. While her bowing gesture earlier reminded him of his Saiyan brethren, her looks were anything but identifiable of his warrior race. For starters, her frame was nowhere near the musculature common to female Saiyans. Her lithe arms and tightly toned stomach didn't scream 'warrior' to him, nor did her hourglass figure. Secondly, that long thick dark hair of hers was too tame to be that of a Saiyan; not with even the likes of Kakarot's spawn – a half-breed no less, having inherited the distinctively wild and coarse mane characteristic of his bloodline. And thirdly, Saiyans did not have birth or beauty marks – just their prehensile tails, so the small beauty mark that skirted the top left corner of her mouth was a dead giveaway that she was not some missing member of the warrior tribe. Said beauty mark only made you want to focus on her curvaceous and rouged lips more, especially when they were currently pulling into a smile from something Bulma had said.**

**"Hey – I'm trying to fit in here! You guys dress in some colorful and mismatched styles all the time. Are my threads that bad?" Sofia responded to Bulma's backward compliment towards her attire, showing her goofy side when she started flexing and posing before adding, "C'mon, I look good!"**

**"I'll say," Krillin blurted out before his eyes went wide and he slapped his hands over his mouth, earning a sweatdrop from Sofia while everyone else but Vegeta began laughing. "I didn't mean it like that!" the former monk piped up before becoming more flustered from Sofia's mock frown. "I mean you're outfit stands out in a good way!"**

**From where he sat, Piccolo's stoic expression became a glower as he watched Sofia wave Krillin's stuttering off, unaware of Vegeta's pointed gaze roving over her. It made his blood boil for some reason he couldn't articulate. He didn't like it at all.**

**Blushing furiously, the short and bald fighter decided it was time to say his farewell and head back to Kame House before he kept putting his foot in his mouth. Once he was blasting off across the sky, Sofia continued to help Bulma with the grilling, until that buzzing at the back of her head would no longer be ignored. _Jesus…I can sense them clearer now. That massive power level was really two. King Cold is no joke – he has to be 10 times stronger than Frieza..!_**

**"So, you're from another dimension and have decided to meddle in this one because of what – boredom?" Vegeta gruffly snapped suddenly, interrupting her thoughts and getting everyone else to pause in their chatter. Sofia turned to focus her gaze completely on him, but didn't respond. Instead, she just raised a delicate brow at him, showing she was unruffled. Not liking that she wasn't taking the bait, Vegeta pressed on, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or am I right on the money – after all, it seems wildly far fetched that someone would volunteer to hop from one dimension to another to intervene in events as if they're the arbiters of any realm. What makes you the authority to think you can meddle in the affairs of others?"**

**Sofia seemed to ponder his biting question, that is, until she shrugged aloofly and chirped, "Because I know almost everything about every last one of you, and while I'm no arbiter or authority on anything, I'd hate to see things get altered in this dimension."**

**Grunting cockily at that, Vegeta walked over and sat in one of the vacant patio chairs, arms still crossed as he shot her an acerbic look. "Well you're already at a bad start, with the Namek being your trainer," he jeered mockingly, sliding his snarky glare over at Piccolo from his perch on the rooftop adjacent to them. "What happened? Did he forget to turn you off of stealth mode?" he chuckled gravelly.**

**She could sense Piccolo's rising temper at the Saiyan's brash jabs, so she gave him a one-shouldered shrug as she mused, "Up until a year or so ago, you couldn't sense anything without a scouter. You thought you knew everything and were on the fast track to becoming an immortal juggernaut. But, that didn't happen. And a big reason for that was the Namek you're throwing so much shade at. Hell – that Namek was able to train Gohan to effectively whoop your ass for a few rounds before Goku Spirit Bombed your ass into the stratosphere. I'd say your powers of perception are skewed when you're letting ego dictate your thinking, Prince Vegeta."**

**Slack-jawed, Yamcha glanced back and forth between the two hotheads. Puar bristled and hid inside the fighter's shirt, while Bulma dropped the spatula as she balked in anticipation for the impending Saiyan blowup.**

**His countenance darkening with growing rage, Vegeta sputtered between clenched teeth, "What did you say?"**

**"You heard me just fine, Vegeta. Now, remember what happened the last time you squared up with a fighter you couldn't register a real power level from. If you wanna go, _let's go_. I'm happy to oblige—"**

**"Hey now, Sofia – I don't think that's a good idea," Yamcha began to stutter nervously as he inched away from the table, freezing and bristling when dark eyes and flaring red ones snapped to bore down on him.**

**"You don't have any good ideas ever, so don't try and share any now!" she snapped. "Just let the non-chicken-shit adults continue their discourse, would yah!?"**

**Vegeta grunted in agreement as he snapped his baleful glare back at her. She anticipated him coming at her for her insolence, but was surprised when he instead began to chuckle. "You got quite the mouth on you, stealth. I bet it gets you into tons of trouble when it runs of its own accord—"**

**"And your bet would be a good one, my Saiyan Prince, but if you also think that means I can't back it up, then you'd be mistaken," she interjected smoothly, pressing her hands down on the table to lean confidently forward to match him before unflinchingly smirking at him.**

**The tension was palpable between them, until Vegeta suddenly tossed his head back and laughed. "Just where in the hell did you come from? You've got moxie, stealth, I'll give you that," he declared as he gave her another once over and added, "But if you think you can beat me in any form of combat other than the tongue lashings you've tossed out, you're—"**

**Vegeta paused when she suddenly jerked her head up to the sky and froze, as if she was sensing something. When he was about to lose his temper at being dismissed, he faltered once the booming sensation of a malevolently massive power level struck him like a bolt of lighting. Choking on a grunt in the back of his throat, Vegeta shot his aghast stare up at the sky along with her. _It can't be!_**

**Piccolo was glaring up at the sky as well. The sheer size of the power level that was approaching the Earth was unlike anything he'd ever felt. Standing from his perch, he felt the buzzing shake within him like a tuning fork, reverberating into his very marrow.**

**"While I look forward to squaring up against you in a friendly spar, I think that's gonna have to wait, Vegeta…" Sofia finally spoke as she glanced back at him.**

**The Saiyan Prince was grappling with his befuddled rage at what he was sensing. He jerked the table, spilling the glasses of refreshments that had been at the center when he pounded his fist on it in astounded disbelief as he ground out, "That third-class clown failed after all! Frieza's still alive…and he's come for us all."**

**Yamcha had finally begun to sense what everyone else was stupefied by and gulped. "Maybe you're wrong. How can you know that for sure?!"**

**"I make it my business to know, you fool!" Vegeta snarled, whirling on the fighter. "After all that, Kakarot wasn't up to the job, and we're doomed unless we mobilize and strike now before Frieza even knows we're onto him."**

**"Well then it's time to go and do just that," Sofia announced and started to levitate upwards before taking flight, without a cursory glance back at the group on the patio. Piccolo joined her and they blasted off. Before long, she felt Vegeta and Yamcha gaining on them quickly before Vegeta slashed his way through the distance to fall in flight next to her far right.**

**Piccolo scowled over at the Saiyan, who wasn't paying him any attention. Just one of these days, he hoped he could punch that conceited smug smirk right off his face.**

**Before long, they were descending over a desolate arid landscape filled with rock formations and steep plateaus, barren of any vegetation. Vegeta landed first, followed by Yamcha, Sofia and Piccolo. Circling between them all, Yamcha was clearly terrified, but trying to hide it as best as he could.**

**_So far, so good. Things are going just as they should._ ** **Sofia thought to herself, watching as Piccolo stalked off towards an incline to survey the sky while Vegeta and Yamcha snapped at each other.**

**"—zip it, would you?! I don't want him to know we're waiting," Vegeta groused at Yamcha before the sound of an approaching helicopter cut their bickering off.**

**Sure enough, Bulma and Puar landed, acting completely unfazed by the fact that everyone was on edge waiting for Frieza's arrival. Sofia hung back while the Capsule Corp. heiress confidently argued with her ex-boyfriend about the merits of her being there while Vegeta snorted. She took the opportunity to reach out and sense all the massive power levels in order to distinguish who was who. King Cold's was gargantuan, totally eclipsing Frieza's, who was still more powerful than everyone around her. She could faintly sense Goku's approaching ki level as it zoomed closer from a far-off recess of space, but she couldn't pick up Trunks's power level. At least not just yet.**

**Dropping down from the sky, Tien and Chiaotzu joined the quickly growing ranks of the Z Warriors who were mobilizing on the site. The triclops surveyed the small group and honed in on Vegeta's presence amongst them, and the acrimony he felt towards the Saiyan was palpable.**

**" _You_ ," Tien Shinhan seethed, glare boring over at the old nemesis while Chiaotzu tensed with trepidation. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face on Earth again, Vegeta. How can you stand the sight of him, Yamcha?!" he groused, glare never leaving his target.**

**"Aw, is that all you have to say?" Vegeta snickered dismissively.**

**"Not in the least. Actions speak louder than words, Saiyan, and I'm prepared to teach you just that—"**

**"Hah–bring it on!" Vegeta cut in antagonistically, not even flinching when Tien rushed forward and was restrained by Yamcha.**

**"Whoa, hey–cool it, Tien! This isn't the time—"**

**"I don't think there's a better time than this to straighten this Saiyan bastard out," Tien bit out between clenched teeth, shoving Yamcha off of him, but stopped in his approach when Chiaotzu clung to his leg and telepathically pleaded with him to stop.**

**Sofia raised a brow at that – very aware that the turn the exchange took wasn't right.**

**For his part, Vegeta huffed in dismissive amusement of the fighter, while Yamcha continued to try and rein in his friend. "Seriously, Tien. This isn't the place or time for that. You two definitely sensed what's coming, otherwise you wouldn't even be here."**

**"It's Frieza, isn't it," he asked rhetorically, earning a nod from the scar-faced fighter. Pausing, Tien Shinhan glanced down at Chiaotzu before raking his scrupulous glare over at everyone else present, noticing Sofia for the first time. All 3 eyes blinking in perplexed curiosity, he wondered how he couldn't sense her at all and was about to inquire on her identity when Krillin and Gohan zoomed down from the sky and landed yards away.**

**Bulma greeted them, and Yamcha shouted over at Gohan if Goku was back. When the young boy shook his head, their moods waned.**

**Noticing Sofia was there, Gohan rushed over to her. "Hey! It's just like you said; I 'stayed on ready,' and came as soon as I sensed something bad coming. Krillin did too. Is it really Frieza?" the demi-Saiyan asked, fists balled up with anxiety.**

**"Of course it is, brat! Now enough talk; mask your power levels, unless you want Frieza's minions to pick you up on their scouters. At least the Namekian and stealth over here have the right idea and are keeping a low profile," the mercurial Saiyan snapped at everyone before glancing over at Piccolo, who was reticently surveying the sky while all the drama played out behind him from his current perch.**

**Gohan blinked over at his friend when he offered him an acknowledging nod, then glanced wide eye up at Sofia, who offered him a goofy look as if to say "these guys are loony" when Tien's tensions suddenly flared again.**

**Harshly pulling off his winter gear and tossing it down to the dirt, the triclops snapped, "I won't take orders from the likes of you! You shouldn't even be here. How do we even know you won't turn on us and join that monster the first chance you get?"**

**Vegeta's mocking look turned dark as his brows furrowed and his scowl deepened. "Do not put me in the same league with that damned creature, three-eyes," he growled, turning to fully glare over at the fighter.**

**"We all know you were his whipping boy – not to mention that you're no match for him, so what's to stop you from turning tail or giving us all up just to save your own hide?!" Tien vehemently countered, jerking away from Yamcha who was trying to diffuse his contemptuous tirade.**

**Before Vegeta could open his mouth to counter, he was beat to the punch.**

**"Because while you were at King Kai's and these guys were on Namek, he took the ultimate whooping from that asshole Frieza, and paid for all his past bullshit dearly and in full by doing so!"**

**Everyone's attention was now directed to Sofia, who was addressing Tien.**

**Blinking slowly, Vegeta faintly betrayed his surprise before setting his reticent scowl back over his features as Sofia continued, "You might not like it, but he was on Namek fighting side by side with the rest of them. He stuck his neck out, and died for the cause," she gestured towards Gohan and Krillin as she added, "they can vouch for that. He could've grabbed a space pod and hauled ass out of there, or fallen back under Frieza's subjugation. But. He. Didn't. I think that earns him the same spot on this battlefield as you."**

**"…" Tien was flummoxed for a moment, before suddenly barking, "Wait, just who the hell are you?!"**

**Groaning dramatically and leaning backwards on the balls of her heels as she slapped her arms down on her sides, Sofia's patience was finally splintering.**

**"That's not even relevant right now! We can have tea and crumpets and I can tell you my whole life story some other goddamned time, but right now we all need to stop sniping at each other," she sharply snapped before pointing from Tien, Chiaotzu and Yamcha as she continued, "You, you, and you! I distinctly remember when all of you were on the opposite side of the battlefield and were Goku's enemies back in the day, yet here you are. If ya'll can reform and not be vilified for the past shit you did, then so can Badman over here – so, all of you, stow your shit already."**

**Staring in awe, Bulma and Puar watched as Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu bowed their heads in begrudging awareness of the truth, while Vegeta stood with his scrutinizing gaze and cross-armed stance, unwavering but clearly at a loss for words.**

**"Whoa…talk about a tongue lashing. Remind me to never make her mad," Krillin mumbled over to Gohan, who just nodded and hummed in mutual surprise.**

**Flinching in his spot, Piccolo turned and shouted, "He's here!" just as Frieza's massive ship appeared in the atmosphere and began descending. Everyone instantly froze in shock and horror – the terrifying level of power that was bearing down on them enough to unsettle even the uninitiated – Bulma and Puar clutching at each other for comfort in their fear as everyone else but Sofia shook in trepidation and watched the alien vessel course overhead before making landfall miles away, whipping the air, dust and debris around them brusquely.**

**Gohan was the only one to notice that Sofia didn't seem fazed or afraid. If anything, she stood with her arms crossed and stared in the direction of the ship's arrival like a person bemused, but expectant of something else.**

**"There's no doubt about it…it's him," Krillin mustered to blurt out.**

**Sofia was reaching out with her mind to sense for Trunks, but she registered no other ki signature but those on the enormous ship making it's landing and causing the ground to slightly tremor, even from their current distance.**

**"Listen up – nobody is allowed to fly!" Vegeta suddenly instructed harshly to the group, adding, "We have to go in on foot so our power levels aren't picked up."**

**Gohan felt a solid hand fall on his shoulder, startling him to look up at his old sensei. "Ready?" Piccolo asked his young friend, who nodded valiantly, ready to face the threat head on.**

**Sofia smiled at the two friends, getting lost in the moment for a few seconds until Yamcha's cowardly sputtering cut through. "Wait. Piccolo, let me get this straight – this guy is the most powerful opponent anyone has ever seen, and we're just supposed to go up against him?!"**

**"It's actually worse than that," Gohan answered, "Because he can become even stronger than he is now."**

**"Not only that, but there's someone else with him that's even more powerful…" Krillin chattered, quaking with fear.**

**Yamcha visibly paled. "Please…tell me you're joking! What is even the point – we can't defeat him. We're like total bugs to him. There's no way we can survive, so sneaking up on him is totally useless! How on Earth can we defeat him?! And he's even brought a friend along—?!"**

**"Would you shut the hell up and quit whining?! If you want to run and hide, then go ahead! But we already know what lies in store for us. We have to put a stop to him now, or you can kiss the planet goodbye." Piccolo's stern glare did little to quell the former desert bandit's fear.**

**"Are you finally catching on?" Vegeta cut in, adding, "Your backwater planet is doomed. That is, unless you put an end to your pathetic whimpering and find Frieza before he finds us. We just have to hike our ways to his location and meet him on the battlefield."**

**"Not necessarily."**

**Everyone turned to look at Sofia. She was in a pensive stance – thoughtfully drumming her black nail-tipped fingers on one bicep while her other hand was at her chin, index finger tapping her jawline as she pondered.**

**"What the hell do you mean, not necessarily," Vegeta groused, and earned a sharp glare from Piccolo before the imposing warrior glanced over at his twin star.**

**Loping over thoughtfully to the center of the group, Sofia continued to ponder before she suddenly mused out loud, "So…what if I could get us to where the ship landed, without being spotted…but under the condition that we all agree to not engage Frieza, King Cold—"**

**"Wait—Cold is with him?!" Vegeta interrupted, visibly flinching at the sound of the name.**

**Dropping her arms to her sides impatiently, she nodded. "Yes; Frieza and King Cold—as well as a cadre of their men. Now…" she paused as she walked past a perturbed Vegeta towards the steep cropping of rocks they would've climbed in direction of the large plateaus they'd have to traverse towards the site of the ship. "If I get us all there unnoticed, do you all agree to not engage them in battle?"**

**All the warriors balked momentarily before Yamcha whined, "WHAT?! Not fight?! What's that even mean—"**

**"That's certain suicide! Why would we even go to the battlefield if not to engage these bastards in battle?!" Tien cut in, while Gohan and Krillin stood perplexed and Vegeta cocked his head to the side to stare at her as if she was mad.**

**"I can't get into specifics—" Sofia began when Vegeta scoffed, Bulma began to sputter questions, and Puar and Chiaotzu now clung to each other in fearful confusion.**

**"What the hell is going on, and why the hell do you think you're in a position to dictate what we do—!?" Tien lashed out, barking at Sofia while Yamcha just shook his head incredulously at the insanity of the situation.**

**"Why me?! I just got wished back… I don't think I can do this, you guys! This whole thing is insane—!" Yamcha began to complain helplessly and off tangent, causing Sofia to finally lose all of her patience.**

**"ENOUGH!" she shouted and flung her arm outwards in exasperation, her rise in anger flaring from the gesture and causing a small fissure to slash the ground between her and the rest of the fighters, silencing their protests and earning their attention as she growled, "I'm sick of the bitching from all of you! I don't have time to argue with you all on the merits of my plan, especially when none of you are even gonna square up against Frieza or his goons anyway so you're only stalling me from what I came here to do—!"**

**"Wait. What did you say?"**

**Sofia paused, turning to look at Piccolo, who was staring at her with that scrutinizing glare of his. "Uh…which part?" she mildly asked, unable to suppress her nervous yet faux affable chuckle as his eyes bore down on her.**

**"None of us are fighting Frieza?" Piccolo's voice hit a low growl when he stepped closer to her. "Is that true?"**

**Gulping, Sofia sweatdropped before laughing nervously, earning grunts of confusion from everyone else who watched her gesture for a 'time out' with her hands as she mused, "Ok, let's just pump the breaks. I think we're getting too ahead of ourselves—"**

**'I want to speak to you. Right. Now.' Piccolo telepathically cut in, causing her to sober and blink at him like an innocent doe-eyed sprite.**

**'Babe, it's prob not the right—'**

**'Don't _babe_  me!' he shouted over their rapport, and Sofia winced.**

**"Uh…hold that thought, everyone. We'll be right back!" Sofia chirped to the rest of the Z Fighter crew as Piccolo impatiently grabbed her forearm and began dragging her over to a large rock formation off to the side. "Nothing to see here! Just gonna do a quick huddle and chat," she piped as she disappeared behind the tall rocks and out of sight as she added in a shout, "Just talk amongst yourselves!"**

**Everyone sweatdropped at the sight before exchanging looks of confusion and questioning.**

**"Ok…is anyone gonna explain who the hell this girl is and what's going on?!" Tien finally asked, earning a grumble of approval from Yamcha.**

**Frowning, Gohan turned to all the adults and exclaimed, "She's from a different dimension that has insight into other realms parallel to theirs, so she knows everything that's supposed to happen in our reality and she's here to make sure nothing really bad happens that would set our universe off course! Everything she's said so far has come true so would you all just stop fighting her on what she says?!"**

**Vegeta huffed and turned away, muttering to himself about his own stupidity for joining forces with such daft mortals, while Bulma huffed that no one seemed concerned with her safety, leaving the other fighters to just sputter with even more questions. Gohan fielded them as best as he could, but easily answered Chiaotzu's question.**

**"Oh–her name's Sofia. And she's our friend, so can you guys please just give her a chance?" the young warrior implored, slowly earning the others' begrudging agreement to do just that.**

**Then they all flinched when Piccolo balefully shouted from behind the rock formation, "ARE YOU _SERIOUS_!?"**

* * *

 

**Sofia clenched her jaw and stood her ground as Piccolo shouted at her, knowing she completely blew it by losing her patience and not filtering her comments better. Sure, it'd been careless, but she was desperate to get to the battlefield to ensure things would occur as they should, and that her strange premonition wouldn't come true. The way the interactions were going, she was afraid that things would progress quicker than they should and she'd miss her opportunity to survey the battle between Trunks and Frieza. Still, trying to explain to Piccolo that yes, indeed, none of the fighters present would technically set foot in the battle against the two fearsome beings after months of being led to believe otherwise was the landmine she had tried to avoid the whole day. Now that she'd told him, "Piccolo: none of us is meant to fight against Frieza today. You're just supposed to be spectators after the fact—" and caused him to balefully balk and ruminate in conflict, she felt helpless in how to proceed, but knew she couldn't waste any more time discussing it.**

**"…I need you to listen to me, Piccolo."**

**When his irate glare focused on hers, his anger waned at the earnest fire burning in her red eyes.**

**'I know you're pissed, and I have a lot of explaining to do, but I can't— _we_ can't do this now. At this very moment, someone is about to engage in battle with Frieza and his father, and it's paramount that it happen as it's supposed to. None of you can intervene...but I have to see it happen. My premonition was explicitly about the outcome of that head-to-head. So please…yell at me later, ok?' she vehemently explained, holding his gaze for a few moments, hoping he'd acquiesce before she rushed away from their one-on-one to scamper to the site miles and mountains away as quick as possible.**

**Expression becoming stoic, Piccolo nodded, turned, and stalked away. She sighed her exhale and phased back to where the others were still standing and talking strategy.**

**"Sofia, is everything alright—?" Gohan began, catching sight of Piccolo stalking back towards the group, and sensing he was not happy at all.**

**"Yes – sorry. Anyway, as I was saying," she began and outstretched her hand as it began to glow red with her aura. "Time is of the essence. If you don't wanna take my word for it, then get to climbing and kicking rocks, fellas. But if you want to see what's going on over there, I suggest you tag along for the ride."**

**"Right," Gohan nodded and stood by her, as did Piccolo before cautiously followed by Krillin, Bulma, Puar, Chiaotzu, a wary Yamcha, and a surly Vegeta, who glared at Tien mockingly when the triclops balked at them all.**

**"…well if Gohan vouches for you, let's get going…" Tien muttered and joined them after a terse beat.**

**Instantly, the group was ensnared by her red aura as it coalesced and enveloped into a protective compartment they all stood housed in before it rose up from the ground and began to chart a course towards the trek the ship had previously taken.**

**Chiaotzu gasped in awe while the others grunted or hummed in surprise. Sofia was too busy concentrating on keeping her aura constant and steady on trekking along at a safe altitude to notice all the scrutinizing glances Vegeta was giving her while Piccolo glared daggers at him. Even with her admittance of earlier still weighing his thoughts, the imposing warrior couldn't help fixate on her previous defense of the maniacal Saiyan to the others. Could it be that she knew something more about the Saiyan that endeared him to her considerations? _Dumb question,_ he berated, when she obviously knew everything about each of them. Still, he'd have to straighten the short and foul-tempered prick out if he kept looking at his mate like that.**

**'Piccolo, you really shouldn't be jealous. Sofia only has eyes for you, after all,' Nail suddenly cut into his ruminations.**

**'Jealous?! What's there to be jealous of,' he snarled dismissively. 'I just don't like the Saiyan as far as I can throw him…and I'm aiming to throw him into the sun if he keeps up his damned contemptible shit—'**

**'Fine, but I'm just reaffirming that you have nothing to worry about, that's all,' Nail's tenor remark held that acerbic edge he used when he was ribbing Piccolo, but softened when he added, 'Don't yell at her, will you? She's warned us several times on how she's got to balance the knowledge she knows with what she can divulge, and when. It can't be easy.'**

**Piccolo let the other Namek's words sink in, but didn't respond. Instead, he focused on her, as she suddenly jerked as if sensing something out of the ordinary.**

**_Whoa—that's...?!_ **

**Everyone else suddenly felt the shift and sensed a powerful ki level arrive at the battlefield they were traveling to.**

**"I'm sensing another huge power level – and it makes Frieza's feel like nothing!" Krillin shouted.**

**"Could it be…my dad?!" Gohan gasped, expression perking up as he glanced up at Sofia to see if hers would give any telltale signs.**

**Below them, the ground suddenly lurched after a huge blast emanated from the site ahead of them, obscuring the sky for a moment.**

**"It's begun. Now, I'm gonna take us to a plateau adjacent, but I need you all to give me your word that you won't interfere in the battle. It has to play out as it's supposed to…" Sofia instructed, her features concentrated on her task as she waited for them all to agree.**

**"If it's Goku, we have to help him! I'm not gonna stand by and let my friend fight that monster by himself again—!" Krillin interjected and was about to blast off on his own when Vegeta grabbed him and stopped him.**

**"You idiot – you'll give us all away! Until I know what I'm dealing with, there's no use blowing our cover, so stay put and shut up," Vegeta barked.**

**Bulma cut in about waiting it out and even if Goku didn't make it to the battle, that Vegeta could still hold out until the Super Saiyan got there, earning a brash remark from the mercurial prince and bickering between them and Yamcha. Growing exasperated, Sofia snarled, "It _isn't_ Goku! And Vegeta is NOT a Super Saiyan yet, so would you all shut up and fall back into spectator mode already, otherwise I'm dropping you all off and heading to the battlefield by myself!"**

**Clamming up, everyone felt trepidation as they neared the point Sofia was aiming for, all but Vegeta, who was too busy replaying what she'd just said over and over in his head. _Not a Super Saiyan yet,_ she'd said.  _Yet…_  He fixated on the adverb. Once again, this girl had disarmed him with her matter-of-factness, making him question if what she claimed could actually be true. **

**Another blast from across the way propelled wind and debris to whip around them violently outside of the confines of her aura, forcing Sofia to land them on a plateau that was far off from the vantage point of the large spaceship's ramp instead of across from the ship's side like she'd wanted to. Keeping the aura up to protect them from the blowback and aftershocks of the battle, Sofia's preternatural eyes honed in on the beings warring across from them, catching a glimpse of Trunks in the clearing smoke as he loomed over them on a plateau adjacent from the ship.**

**Crouched low with the others, Piccolo squinted up at the sky and caught sight of the mysterious figure with the amazing power level they'd been sensing. His mind flashed to the memory of Sofia's room in her dimension – of the cloth poster over her bed. _Unreal…it's come true. That kid must've been part of her premonition._ Glancing over at Sofia, Piccolo watched her avidly size up the scene, as if she was tracking the sequence of events. **

**Looking up as the scene unfolded, Sofia's mind's eye replayed her premonition for her, and she began to feel a cold chill of trepidation trickle down her spine.**

**Everyone was too riled by the chaos to really analyze what was going on, crouched down low to the rock they were currently gripping for purchase as the wind began to finally die down from the last massive blast.**

**The next succession of events played out in slow motion to her, pinging in her mind every time a certain moment fell in step with what she'd seen in her premonition. Trunks called out to Frieza and shot a diversionary blast that caused the ruthless galactic overlord and his father to take flight, playing right into the future traveler's strategy as he descended upon the bionic alien and split him in half right down the middle before dicing him to pieces.**

**"They're right there – look guys!" Gohan shouted and pointed, just as Trunks raised his palm and blasted the alien into dust.**

**Utterly shocked and awed, the group of fighters stared up at the demise of the terrible Frieza, befuddled at the identity of the warrior that took the evil alien out. The rest of the battle played out as it should. King Cold tried to bribe Mirai Trunks to becoming part of his clan; tried to use the young traveler's sword against him, and was easily bested by the teen. He blasted the behemoth of an alien straight in the chest to careen into the base of a plateau. Cold tried to barter and beg for mercy, and just when Sofia began to think her worries were a fluke, Trunks diverged from the expected action, and instead of immediately incinerating the horned alien with a final blast, he turned to blast a ki sphere that decimated the massive spaceship first.**

**Gasping, Sofia sprang up, her protective aura dissipating as she watched King Cold, while mortally wounded, still able to rise up and attempted to rush the teenage Super Saiyan while his back was turned in that split second. Phasing, Sofia instinctually formed a ki-blade shaped like a kunai and launched it with deft precision as she hovered adjacent to the plateau to the alien's left, completely surprising him when the sharp searing projectile sunk into his thick neck and stopped him in his tracks long enough for Trunks to turn and notice him wavering in place. The Super Saiyan outstretched his hand and blasted him to smithereens, leaving no trace of the imposing horned alien that once stood in the crater that now remained in the dirt.**

**Panting from the adrenalin, Sofia blinked in disbelief— _How was that so…simple? Could it be…just done now?_ She thought as she floated in place, lowering her hand to her side and huffing her sigh of relief. "That was too close!" she mumbled to herself as she wiped her forehead.**

**"What the hell?!"**

**Sofia turned to look over her shoulder at the rest of the group, who had sprung up after her intervention and were now floating behind her with god smacked expressions on their faces.**

**"Uh…" she offered lamely before laughing goofily and scratching the back of her head.**

**Vegeta was still gritting his teeth and glaring daggers at her when Trunks suddenly turned after powering down from Super Saiyan mode, and unfazed in seeing them present, affably shouted, "Hey, I'm heading over to where Goku's gonna land in a little while. You guys can come along if you want to."**

**Grunting in surprise and shock, the group, minus Sofia, all seemed baffled about the startling familiarity the mysterious lavender-haired teen displayed towards them. Piccolo floated over next to Sofia.**

**'Is it all right now?' he inquired tersely, skeptically staring at the teenage Super Saiyan.**

**'Yep!' Sofia chirped and offered him a relieved smile before winking at him. 'All's well that ends well, right?'**

**"Humph," was all he responded.**

**"It's this way. Yeah—I can pretty much show you where he's gonna touch down. Follow me if you want," Trunks offered again, causing a stir of incredulity, balking, and gruff suspicion to course through the group. The time traveler was about to shout that Goku would land in around 2 hours, when he noticed Sofia for the first time.**

**_Odd. I don't remember mom mentioning a girl friend of hers tagging along to this._ **

**"Can we really trust him?! I mean, how does he know where Goku is gonna arrive?" Yamcha inquired, earning a shrug from Tien.**

**"Well I'm definitely going. After all, he can't be that bad if he defeated Frieza. I'm curious to find out just who this guy is," the triclops stated.**

**Piccolo glanced at Gohan, who seemed conflicted, when Sofia confirmed, "Hey—Goku's gonna land in about 2 hours, so let's get going."**

**"Huh?!" the entire group now balked at her.**

**"Seriously. Do I need to keep proving to youz that I'm legit? The guy isn't lying. He has Goku's exact coordinates, while I don't, so…" she mused and made a gesture somewhere between a shrug and huff as she clicked her tongue derisively before blasting off towards Trunks. The time traveling teen stared up at her when she came up and pointed off to the side, "It's this way, right?"**

**"Uh…yeah. Follow me," Trunks retorted before floating up and blasting off in the direction where his tracking unit displayed Goku's point of arrival. As they flew, she could sense the others follow along at a safe distance. Only Piccolo and Gohan advanced closer to fall in formation only a few feet behind.**

**While they flew, Trunks took the chance to glance sidelong at her from time to time, trying to remember if his mother had ever mentioned a friend that fit her description.**

**There was something oddly familiar about her, but at the same time he knew he'd never met her before. _Strange._**

**As the tracking unit on his wrist began to beep, Trunks descended until he landed in a flat, desolate valley with terrain that was arid as it was bare.**

**Sofia landed gracefully behind him, followed by Piccolo, Gohan, Vegeta, Tien, Krillin, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha while carrying Bulma, with Puar in tow. Staring sternly at the mysterious youth, Piccolo glanced at Sofia as she loped over after the lavender-haired fighter tossed a capsule to deploy a travel mini fridge.**

**After the teen offered everyone something to drink and got some of them to take him up on his offer of refreshments, they all seemed to unwind from their tension, until Gohan and Krillin began to ask how he knew Goku.**

**Sofia stood off to the side and allowed the interactions to play out without interference. Vegeta began to hammer the teen with all his brash questions, unaware that he was interrogating his own future son. Bulma noticed the Capsule Corp. logo on his jacket's sleeve, and coquettishly winked at him, unknowingly making her shy son blush. Snickering, Sofia took a seat on a flat rock and watched on as everyone decided to stick around to wait for Goku's supposed arrival.**

**Piccolo was rooted in his cross-armed stance while the rest hung around leaning on rocks or standing around while nursing their canned drinks and whispered in conversation about the mysterious youth. Once her twin star began to chat with Gohan, Sofia took the opportunity to grab a drink from the fridge, overhearing Vegeta snapping at Trunks for glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.**

**"Why the hell do you keep looking over here! Am I that fascinating?" she heard the Saiyan Prince grouse, and Trunks's meek response.**

**Grunting in amusement, Sofia cleared the distance and stood over Trunks, extending the can of soda towards him. "Hey, don't pay his jovialness no mind; keep caffeinated instead."**

**Blinking at her offering and guileless congeniality, the teen took the can and nodded, muttering, "Thanks," before being slightly startled when she went to sit next to him on the rock. Scooting over, Trunks stared at her as she smiled and coolly stretched her long legs out before crossing them at the ankles so she could lean back on her hands.**

**"Don't worry. I know—this is all super surreal, huh," she whispered to him and gave him a sidelong glance as a small smirk tugged the corner of her rouged lips.**

**"Uh…I don't know what you mean," the teen muttered in a soft tone to match her whisper, suddenly feeling that weird sense of having seen her somewhere before once again. "Sorry—how do you know everyone?"**

**"Oh, yeah…well it's a long story. But I can empathize with you. It must be weird to see a bunch of people you've never met but know very well. Anyway, I'm Sofia," she explained, then offered her hand in a firm handshake that impressed the lavender-haired teen. Her grip was very strong, even though he couldn't sense her power level at all.**

**"Uh, it's nice to meet you…" he responded, trailing off when he realized he couldn't really introduce himself.**

**By this point, Piccolo was watching the two chat when Sofia leaned over and whispered something no one could hear except for him, "It's cool, T. Don't worry. I won't blow your cover." The boys eyes went slightly wide before he glanced at her with incredulity.**

**Winking at him, Sofia watched him look utterly perplexed before he set his expression into a stoic mask as he slid his gaze away from hers. "If you know who I am, then that means you're from—"**

**"Nope. I'm not. Actually, I'm not from this timeline, or dimension…" when he glanced back at her, she shrugged. "Like I said: it's a long story. But I do know you, and why you're here, and what would've happened had you not come here."**

**His raspy tone sounding more gravelly as he whispered, Trunks asked, "How can it be possible? I thought time travel was already tempting faith, but you're saying you're from another dimension altogether? How did you cross into this reality? I mean—how is it even possible—?"**

**"Listen, T. I know it's a lot to process and take at face value, but just like you're limiting the amount of knowledge you divulge right now, so am I – for fear of altering or influencing events in a way that could be detrimental to this timeline," Sofia paused in her whisper when she caught Piccolo's eye, realizing he was eavesdropping.**

**"I see," Trunks responded, taking her momentary distraction to really search her facial features more keenly. She definitely was the most exotic and otherworldly looking female he'd ever seen – her preternatural red eyes and pointed fangs aside – but there was something about her looks that kept pinging in his recollections at him.**

**"Oh—that's right. I sort of look funny to you, huh," Sofia mused ruefully, bringing his attention back from his open staring.**

**Blushing slightly, Trunks coughed, "Uh—sorry! I didn't mean to stare. You just—" then, his mind's eye brought the vision of the Androids from his time standing side-by-side with their mocking almond-shaped blue eyes and sinisterly condescending smirks. "Wait—!"**

**Sofia quickly hushed him with her finger to her lips and glanced quickly to see if anyone had noticed his spike of apprehension. "I know I look like _them_ , but I assure you, there's no relation what-so-ever. So chill, ok?" she whispered soothingly and placed her hand on his shoulder to stare openly in his wide eyes. "I'm all organic – no bionic or mechanical improvements here," she assured, before adding jokingly, "Wanna check?"**

**Balking comically and blushing, Trunks sputtered, "No-no! I believe you. It's just uncanny…but at the same time I just can't get over the idea that someone could enter different dimensions. I mean, don't get me wrong, the quantum physics of it is crazy-fascinating, but it just makes me wonder and want to ask so many more questions."**

**Smiling, Sofia leaned closer to muse, "Well, I can only hop into this dimension and back to mine. Trust me – I'm just as weirded out by the reality of it all too. I mean it's a super long story that'd probably do your head in, but trust me when I say that I only mean to help in the same sort of way as you, only by trying not to get involved or affect too much in the natural order or events…" she trailed off when he nodded, lost in thought. "What's wrong?"**

**"Well…I only meant to come back and warn Goku, not get involved in the battle with Frieza. But now I'm afraid I've altered things. Was I supposed to?" the lavender-haired demi-Saiyan asked her in a hushed tone.**

**"Boy, they're chatting away like the best of friends, huh," Bulma mused, intrigued that Sofia knew who the mysterious handsome teen was.**

**"Bah – they probably know each other already and are just continuing the ruse—" Vegeta's snarky remark was cut off by the heiress.**

**"Believe what you want, Vegeta, but you're still here sitting and waiting for what they said to happen, just like the rest of us. What's it gonna take for you to lose the skeptical act?" she expertly condescended as she inspected her manicured fingers.**

**Dismissively scoffing, Vegeta crossed his arms and went back to glaring at the two mysterious figures as they continued to chat, unbothered.**

**"So…in your dimension, you saw me intervene from the start?" Trunks whispered, the bemused expression softening from his marveled tone as Sofia nodded.**

**"Yep. So, possibly, it was paramount that you intercede with Frieza and Cold while Goku was delayed. Timelines and shit are funny that way," she sing-sung. "But I do understand your trepidation. I've been worried about not doing or saying too much that will influence things and possibly alter the natural flow of things, but as long as we try our best, it should be ok…I think," Sofia deduced earnestly, before adding, "I know you have to limit it to just telling Goku about you-know-who's, so don't worry…I just want to ask you something that might seem peculiar, all considering."**

**Sobering and beginning to lower his guard, Trunks nodded, "Alright, all considering, shoot."**

**Pulling her legs up to fold them under her and scoot closer, she whispered, "When you were finishing off King Cold…you were about to blast him for the final blow, but you turned and blasted the ship," the teen nodded, so she continued, "Why did you do that? I mean…why not blast him first, then the ship?"**

**Trunks had to think about that. Staring down at the still-unopened can of soda he held between his hands, he replayed his thought process in that moment, and could only come up with an honest answer. "I don't really know. I guess…it was my way of demoralizing him? Like one final blow to the legacy and supremacy of his entire evil kind," Trunks paused, wanting to add that his mother had told stories his whole life about the atrocities committed by Frieza and his galactic force, but thought he'd be sharing too much. Instead, he added, "I guess that was very reckless of me…"**

**Absorbing that, Sofia fell silent, thinking about how a wayward impression in the back of his head could've caused such a deliberate shift in his intended course of action. _Could it be my influence just being here? It's not like we tipped him off before or after we got to the site…but would my premonition have become fruition if I hadn't intervened? Would he have just turned and iced King Cold out easily even if I had hung back?_**

**"Well then…when you fought them, did you think it was, like…easy?" Sofia asked; expression now guarded as she glanced up into the teen's blue eyes.**

**"Hmm…well, yeah. I mean I know they were both stronger than most of everyone else, but in my time, I've fought monsters 10 times stronger, so it kind of was easy to defeat them—"**

**"But I mean, did you think it would be? Did you feel like if you had to intervene, you'd be able to defeat them without breaking a sweat? And that it would've been so quick?" Sofia interjected, her crimson eyes becoming unfocused as she almost asked the question to herself as well.**

**Leaning back thoughtfully, Trunks glanced at Sofia's pensive features, and found himself staring before snapping out of it to answer in a sober tone, "I wasn't really sure. In my time, Goku arrived in time to take them on and he defeated them. I was worried that maybe I wouldn't be strong enough, but the moment I sensed their power levels, I knew I had to take a chance…no one else would've been strong enough to outlast them until Goku arrived. I didn't want to take the chance of not stepping in and having someone fall prematurely in battle. I went with my gut instead of my head, I guess…"**

**Humming at that, Sofia leaned forward thoughtfully – hand cradling her jaw as she thrummed her fingers against her knee – while she mused in a whisper, "I guess you're not the only one…"**

**"What do you mean?" the lavender-haired demi-Saiyan inquired in a gravelly whisper.**

**"…Well, I sorta intervened in your fight today. Again – long story, but there was a split second there that I thought Cold was gunning for a final blow, so…I sniped him with one of these," Sofia pensively muttered, flickering her fingers with ki until she willed the energy to crackle and alchemize a ki-based kunai throwing dagger. "I…well, I panicked. Things fell out of the sequence I knew they should transpire in; couldn't risk _you_  falling in battle. Sorry—"**

**"You did that? But—I mean I didn't even see it," Trunks gawked at her, watching as she idly let her psionic weapon fizzle away into spirals of energy that scintillated across her skin.**

**Snickering platonically, Sofia winked, "That's the point, silly. I mean, we all can't make a grand entrance—slicing and dicing flunkies like a hibachi chef and looking all badass while doing so."**

**Sweatdropping and laughing nervously, the teen rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Yikes…I guess I overdid it, huh?"**

**"What? Nah, T. That was awesome!" Sofia chirped in a whisper and fist-pumped as she added, "That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I'm just saying I'm not that cool, alright?"**

**"Well in any case, thanks for intervening," the handsome teen offered, giving her a curt nod of appreciation and a smirk that made him resemble his father.**

**Smiling musingly, Sofia let her mind wander back to her worrying of earlier. The what if's of her intervention began to weigh her thoughts. _I'm anxious about all the things I could affect in a bad way just by trying to stop things from going off kilter…how is this going to work out? Could things go off script worse than they did today? God, I really hope not…_**

**Piccolo watched the exchange and saw how Sofia had fallen into a moment of rumination, but wasn't able pluck their telepathic rapport to ask why she was being such a goofball with the kid before Vegeta's sudden scathing drawl interrupted his thoughts. "She's quite chummy with this supposed Super Saiyan punk. Could they be in league—pulling something together to fool the lot of us? You've trained her, Namek. Yet it seems she's keeping things close to the vest, even from _you_."**

**Dropping his arms to his sides so he could clench his fists in mounting fury, Piccolo shot an icy glare over at the contemptible Saiyan. "Keep your theories and conspiracies to yourself, Vegeta. Not all of us are paranoid like you after constantly being defeated and eclipsed by Goku," he calculatingly jabbed, succeeding in wiping the snarky smirk off the prince's face.**

**Krillin and Gohan heard the exchange. The former monk cringed, "Uh-oh…" while Gohan glanced from one hotheaded warrior to the other before everyone's attention was brought back to Trunks when he stood up and looked at his watch.**

**"Ok–that's time. Goku should be arriving any minute now," the lavender-haired teen exclaimed as he walked over to return his unopened soda to the travel mini fridge before re-encapsulating it and returning it to his pocket.**

**Sofia didn't stand as everyone else did, still lost in thought. She'd been sensing Goku's steady course of arrival, but didn't let on to the others. Since leaving the chamber, she'd realized that she seemed to ping onto power levels somewhat earlier than the rest, but she couldn't figure out why. On top of that, she was still really at a loss for how on several occasions, the course of intended interactions or choices had diverged ever so slightly. From the terse and acrimonious exchanges earlier, to Trunks changing up the sequence of his actions, it was perplexing her to no end.**

**"Whoa—! He's coming. My dad's finally home!" Gohan's shout brought her back to the current excitement.**

**She glanced up and watched Goku's commandeered Ginyu space pod careen overhead before crashing raucously in the short distance. Everyone rushed towards his landing site, buzzing with anticipation to finally reunite with the amazing fighter and their dear friend.**

**"Hey. You coming?"**

**Glancing up, Sofia blinked at Trunks, who was now offering his hand to her, gesturing with his chin over at the direction everyone else rushed to. Smiling, Sofia took his hand and let him pull her up from her pondering position. Unfortunately, he used more strength than he'd intended to, so Sofia was yanked up so quickly that she ended up bumping into him goofily.**

**"Oops—Wow, man!" Sofia exclaimed as he caught her and stiffly hung onto her curves before sweatdropping and flinching away to stare down at his boots and blush furiously. "You're just too strong for your own good, haha," Sofia laughed good-heartedly and punched him on the shoulder, not noticing his fidgeting or shy glance. "Hey," his blue gaze slid back to her as she mused, "We might not get a chance to later, so…" she paused, leaned over and surprised him with a hug. "I wanna tell you now: it was awesome meeting you, Trunks," she whispered into his ear, before giving him a friendly squeeze.**

**Staring wide eyed as she pulled back from the hug, Trunks gazed into her crimson eyes and smiled meekly, "Uh, it was great to meet you too, Sofia. Thanks for talking to me…it was nice."**

**Grinning and squeezing his shoulder platonically, Sofia chirped, "Alright, let's go and blow Goku's mind!"**

**Blasting off to join the others at edge of the massive crater formed by the alien pod's crash landing, Trunks went to be ahead of the crowd of friends, while Sofia side stepped and paused in stride. Deciding to hang back, she stood behind Piccolo and watched over or under his shoulder pad as everyone cheered and greeted a stunned Goku, who'd emerged from the pod and blinked up at his friends and former foes.**

**"Whoa, uhhh…hey guys!" the legendary warrior offered with a surprised tone after emerging from his commandeered space pod, his wide-eyed expression slightly stunned to see everyone waiting for him out in the middle of nowhere.**

**Pretty soon, they all gushed about Trunks before Goku confirmed not knowing him, which boggled everyone but Sofia, Piccolo and Trunks himself. When the demi-Saiyan asked to speak to Goku in private over yonder from the group, Sofia took the chance to sit at the edge of the crater and watched the exchange from a distance. Everyone else was questioning the need for secrecy and wondering out loud over this or that. Meanwhile, Piccolo was easily eavesdropping on the private conversation from his vantage point, occasionally glancing over at Sofia's profile, as she'd snicker or smile. _It's as if she knows what they're saying, word for word._**

**When Goku balked and face-faulted at hearing about Vegeta and Bulma being Trunks's parents, Sofia snorted despite herself before guffawing, earning Gohan's attention while everyone else either sweatdropped or complained about being left in the dark.**

**The teen from the future couldn't believe the turn of events. He'd been dismayed to realize that Goku could've intervened against Frieza the whole time by using his Instant Transmission – meaning Trunks unnecessarily had influenced events and possibly changed the course of the future. However, he took comfort in Goku's reassurance that because of his help, they now stood a better chance at avoiding the calamity of the Androids and possibly reverse course for the future, as they all knew it. _I guess you're not the only one…_ Trunks recalled Sofia's pensive musing, and felt a burgeoning sense of hope.**

**Soon after, Trunks took his leave and everyone rushed over to Goku when the jovial Saiyan walked back, thoughtfully amused and bemused. They peppered him with questions, and when Goku tried to hedge away from answering, Piccolo filled them in, being mindful to not divulge anything that would jeopardize Trunks's identity and future parentage. Everyone started to argue about the merits of training for the battle against the Androids and whether the foretold events could be true, but paused when Trunks was hovering in his time capsule overhead before suddenly winking out of sight, but not before he waved down at everyone and noticed Sofia shoot him a conspiratorial wink and grin before he disappeared.**

**_Man, mom's never gonna believe me. An inter-dimensional traveler who looks like an Android, but isn't, and who seems totally cool with everything…it'd be nice to get to see her again some day…_ **


	21. Finding Fruition

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_**

**"Three years from now, on May 12th at 10 o'clock in the morning, on an island 9 miles off of South City, the two killer Androids will arrive…but I think we should all plan to be there no later than 9am in case the young man's information isn't 100% accurate. It could be a rough one—not for the faint of heart, so if you have any reservations or aren't up for it, then stay home. If these enemies are half as fearsome as described, every move we make will be critical – can't have anyone slowing us down."**

**After Trunks and his time capsule had vanished, the remaining Z Fighters argued about whether or not they should take the foretold warnings seriously, when Piccolo declared that not only would he be training, but that anyone who wasn't planning to would surely perish.**

**"Don't make me laugh. I don't remember putting you in charge of this operation, Namek. You're the one that's a liability, so if anyone should stay home, it's you," Vegeta cut in with a snarky smirk and crossed his arms cockily.**

**"Are you challenging me?! Don't cross me, Vegeta. You _don't_ want to try me," Piccolo balefully snarled at the Saiyan, his tone dripping with venom as he punched the last sentence with a threatening edge; finally done stowing his temper towards the infuriating Saiyan.**

**"Whoa, c'mon guys. Relax," Goku interjected affably before sighing in relief when both imposing fighters dismissed each other.**

**"Hey – I got an idea!"**

**Everyone directed their attention to Bulma, who seemed rather confident in her rationale as she continued, "If we can find this Dr. Gero guy, we can stop him before he creates those Androids!" When everyone balked at her, the blue-haired maven forged on, "We don't even need to find him ourselves! We can use the dragon balls, find his location, show up at his door and stop him."**

**"Hey yeah—we don't even have to fight at all if we do that; the future Earth would be safe. That's a great idea, Bulma!" Krillin offered, before the jeering counter arguments began to rain down.**

**"If any of you even so much as think of doing something like that, you will pay dearly for it. Got that?!" Vegeta bellowed, spurning Bulma to shout right back at him and wail about the insanity of wanting to fight foes with such a huge chance of losing everything.**

**"Goku, please tell me you're on my side," Bulma pleaded with her oldest friend.**

**"Well…wow, I guess I gotta side with Vegeta. I actually kind of want to fight them too, to tell you the truth. And besides that – he hasn't invented anything yet, so there's no reason to hurt him; it'd be kinda drastic, don't you think?" Goku retorted soberly, earning Bulma to deflate down to the ground in mortification.**

**"I can't believe we're going to listen to these two crazy Saiyans! If you die this time, we won't be able to bring you back," she whined, becoming even more disheartened when Tien and Yamcha and even Krillin now began to turn towards accepting the flawed logic borne from a competitive, battle-obsessed drive. Whirling suddenly, she looked at Sofia, who was still standing behind Piccolo and watching the course of events, before she pleaded, "Wait, you can tell them they're being insane and narrow-minded, Sofia! Please, convince them that we should take the opportunity to strike before anything terrible happens now while we have the chance. Otherwise we're all doomed!"**

**Suddenly blinking, Goku looked over and seemed to notice Sofia for the first time. "Huh? Oh – sorry, I guess in all the excitement I didn't realize you guys brought a new friend along?" the affable Saiyan piped, earning a collective sweatdrop from everyone but Sofia, who now nervously laughed and stepped around from behind Piccolo.**

**"I swear, Goku. How can you be so absent-minded?!" Bulma barked before directing her gaze back at Sofia. "Now would you please just tell them to do things my way so we can skip all the folly—"**

**"Bulma, you're plan is a great one. I can't lie. But…we can't do it," Sofia interjected, taking the wind out of the other woman's sails. "Listen. While it would be the easy way out, it's not the right one. There are…things that need to happen in their proper course and time. Every one of you will experience growth and change as a result of preparing for this threat, and for better or worse, it must happen. I can't give you details—" she paused when she saw Vegeta begin to open his mouth, but quickly added, "I _can't_ , so don't even start yelling at me about it, alright?! Just understand that you have three years to prepare, and there's no magic escape option that you can take without seriously jeopardizing not only your futures, but your entire timeline."**

**After a long sobering pause, Tien purposely stated, "Then that settles it. I'm going to train as well. I hope you guys do so too. I…have to know what I'm capable of. If I die saving Earth, then I die well."**

**"Ugh, fine…you bunch of savages don't know when to listen even when it's for your own good. Too bad I'm stuck with you…so I guess I'll help any way I can too," Bulma relented in a huff.**

**Sofia sighed in relief, before suddenly stiffening when Goku came up to lean in close and survey her with his curious and open expression. "Hey, that was a great speech. You seem to know a lot," he mused before adding, "Boy, you're tall for a girl. And kind of different-looking—"**

**"Goku! That's rude," Krillin protested and elbowed his friend.**

**"Aw, c'mon, I didn't mean anything by it! It's just I don't think I've met anyone that looks like her—I mean, like Sofia. It was Sofia, right?" the jovial fighter asked before extending his hand in greeting. "I'm Goku! It's nice to meet you, by the way."**

**Sofia sort of stared at his outstretched hand before shaking it almost reverently. At her current height, she was almost as tall as Goku; his hair still tipped him to have the higher stature, but she dully noted that as she stared at their shaking hands. The power he held was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. In awe, she squeezed his hand before smiling broadly up at him. "Wow…" she said, earning a good-natured and goofy laugh from the friendly yet powerful fighter. "It's an honor to shake your hand, Goku. I mean – seriously this is so cool!" she shouted and began shaking his hand eagerly and earnestly.**

**"Whoa—you got a strong grip! Hey so, how come I can't sense your power level at all?! Are you super cloaking it?" Goku curiously inquired before bringing their handshake up to eye level so he could inspect hers as if that would reveal an answer to him. _Wow, super pointy nails too!_**

**"Oh, stealth over here is from ANOTHER dimension, Kakarot. Supposedly she knows everything about us, isn't that right?" Vegeta cut in sarcastically, giving Goku an eye roll when the fighter glanced over at him with that open look of child-like wonder that so annoyed him.**

**"Wow, really?! That sounds awesome," Goku exclaimed and put his hands on his hips. "So, it's kind of like—" he stopped himself from saying Trunks's name, so he corrected clumsily, "I mean so you're here to help too? Make sure we don't do anything to throw stuff off from how it's supposed to happen?"**

**Everyone balked at Goku's ability to aloofly hit the nail right on the head with little prompting – a skill he rarely showcased except for tense times like these.**

**Nodding vigorously, Sofia mused, "That's right! It's a real long story, but that's the gist, Goku. And if it's all right with you…I'd like to train with you too? I want to help in any way I can!"**

**"Sure!" the Saiyan replied with gusto. "Krillin? Yamcha? You wanna come train too?"**

**"Uh, I think I'll pass," Krillin replied skittishly. "I'll have Master Roshi train me, at my own pace, of course."**

**"Thanks for the offer, but I'd be lying if I said I could keep up with your level of training, Goku," Yamcha offered lamely.**

**"Haha, that's okay. Hey, how about you, Piccolo? Train with us. Please? I need a sparring partner, and I know it'd make Gohan happy," Goku asked his old foe.**

**"Sure. Might as well," Piccolo responded, glancing over at Sofia as he added, "It'll be interesting to see how the two of you fair."**

**Gohan cheered, then added, "Oh yeah, that's right. You trained Sofia and me. It's gonna be fun to see how similar or different we are in our fighting styles."**

**"Whoa, you were trained by Piccolo too?" Goku stared at Sofia with wonder. "Boy – a lot's happened since I've been away, huh?" he exclaimed and scratched the back of his head. "Man, I can't wait! Oh," Goku paused and leaned over towards Sofia as he added, "You can stay with us, but I gotta warn you – my wife Chi-Chi can be really demanding and bossy, so just figured I'd warn you from now—"**

**"Dad. Sofia's met mom already," Gohan interrupted, earning a nervous laugh from Goku as he flinched into place and fidgeted at his faux pas.**

**"Oh yeah?! Heeheehee – then maybe don't tell her I said any of that, k?" the powerful fighter chortled in that trademark goofy yet self-aware way that made Sofia snicker.**

**"This is absurd!"**

**Everyone turned back towards Vegeta, who was fuming at the trivialities he was witnessing.**

**"Huh? What's up with you, Vegeta?" Goku inquired.**

**"Is that ridiculous outfit of yours cutting the circulation off to your tiny brain, Kakarot?! Did you forget about my promise to defeat you?! It might be postponed until after this imminent battle, but that still doesn't change that you and I have unfinished business. Now, if this girl," he spat in reference of Sofia, "Can cow you all into believing her story, that's one thing. But I refuse to be told what I can and cannot do, is that clear, stealth?"**

**_Fucking bastard—!_ ** **Piccolo's temper vein at his temple began to throb with fury, but just as he was about to challenge the Saiyan once more, Sofia broke off from the group to walk straight towards him, her hands dropping to her sides and her gaze stoic as she approached. Standing his ground, Vegeta didn't blink or get ruffled by her as she stood as close as he'd allow any of these fools to be without his permission. The others simply glanced at each other; some shrugging while others stared on. They all went silent, the wind howling by as she took a calm posture of leaning her weight on one hip and crossing her arms.**

**Staring guilelessly into the mercurial Prince's eyes, Sofia sighed. "When you were a small boy, your father once told you, "Vegeta. Some day, you'll be the strongest Saiyan in the universe…you come from a strong bloodline, and you possess the potential power to join the super elite of all Saiyans. Never forget where you're from, and train very hard, my son. Because, if you've proven yourself worthy, perhaps someday _you_ will become a Super Saiyan." Now…" she paused when his thunderstruck expression froze and his raven eyes began to replay the very memory she'd recited. "I'm not saying you need anyone's help to accomplish that. Or that I'm a know-it-all that  _can_ tell you what you can and cannot do. Hell – I'm not even sure my involvement will be that much help anyway. But, I assure you, I don't intend to tell you anything that will do you or the others harm. I wish you luck on your journey to becoming a Super Saiyan…not that you'll need it."**

**When the Saiyan Prince just stared at her in awe, she gave him a final bow of deference – the same one she'd done when they met earlier in the day, and smiled before turning on her heel and walking away, offering a casual wave over her shoulder as she walked.**

**Vegeta's grunt caught in the back of his throat as he shook off his bemusement. His mind replayed that memory in stark detail. It was one of the fondest memories he had of he and his father. Not only that, it was a moment that had defined his ambition in life, and it was one he'd never shared with anyone, nor had anyone else been present to witness it. He could no longer question the validity of her claims.**

**At a loss for words, the Saiyan glared over at the others before shooting off into the sky, making a direct course for Capsule Corp. to begin his training.**

**"Whoa…I've never seen Vegeta so spooked, yet so quiet. What'd you say to him?" Goku asked Sofia when she approached.**

**Shrugging, she replied off-handedly, "Just some words of encouragement. Anyway, I want to apologize to you guys for my…curt attitude from before. I was just on edge—"**

**"That's one way to refer to it," Yamcha muttered under his breath, earning an eye roll from Bulma.**

**"Hey, it's water under the bridge. I see now you meant well. We were all pretty on edge too. No hard feelings," Tien responded, giving her an acknowledging nod before directing his gaze to Goku and the others. "We'll be leaving now. So, until we meet again," the triclops stated coolly as he and Chiaotzu waved in farewell before blasting off.**

**"Well, I think it's time we head home. I'm sure Chi-Chi's worried sick about you, Gohan," Goku said, ready to offer a parting wave at the others, when Bulma suddenly called out, as if remembering something.**

**"Oh wait! Sofia, before you go," the Capsule Corp. heiress began as she reached into a hidden pocket in her orange dress and found a capsule. She pressed the plunger and tossed it to the side. After the plume of smoke cleared, her helicopter from earlier was revealed. She hopped inside the cockpit, and retrieved Sofia's small backpack. "You forgot this back at my house. Figured I'd save you the trip," Bulma explained as she offered the possession to the red-eyed woman.**

**"Oh awesome! You always come in clutch, Bulma. Thanks so much," Sofia exclaimed as she swung the small backpack on and grinned.**

**"Don't mention it. I meant to ask you if you needed a place to stay or anything earlier, but I guess you'll be bunking up at Goku's, huh," the congenial woman said as she stood on the railing of the helicopter.**

**"Yep…well actually, if it's not too much trouble, I was going to ask if you had any spare batteries I could take off your hands?" Sofia meekly asked, feeling like a complete moocher.**

**"Wait. Batteries? For what?" Piccolo suddenly inquired judgmentally, but was ignored by the two bantering women.**

**"Oh, sure!" Bulma beamed as she snapped her fingers and went back to rummaging into a hidden compartment in the helicopter. Finding the small case, she turned and offered it to Sofia. "Here you go! These are supply capsules I've been packing and storing everywhere since we got back from Namek. It has everything you'd need in a pinch: all kinds of batteries, lanterns, sleeping bags, bedrolls, some food rations, camping necessities – the works!" she explained as Sofia opened the small case and inspected the capsules with grateful awe.**

**"You're the freaking BEST, Bulma! Thank you!" Sofia practically phased in and pulled the shorter woman in for a bear hug, being sure to mind her strength as she hugged her and beamed, "You're the MVP of the Z Fighters, you know that!"**

**"Hahaha, aw gosh, it's so nice to be appreciated for once," Bulma mused affably.**

**"Ahem?!" Sofia glanced over at Piccolo, who was now glowering judgingly at her, while Goku glanced back and forth in confusion. "What do you need batteries for, pray tell?" he groused, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.**

**"Oh, for my boombox, of course! I mean, hello – do you think I can go three years without listening to my tunes?" she exclaimed comically and wiggled her arms exaggeratedly. "It's just as important as anything else in life, Piccolo—"**

**"No it's not! That infernal thing is just a source of loud, brash and obnoxious chaos you _call_ music. Definitely NOT a necessity—"**

**"Hey—if not for that boombox, we wouldn't even be here, ok?" Sofia interjected earnestly, adding in a faux analytical tone, "If not for my boombox running out of battery, I wouldn't have been bored, and I wouldn't have asked you to teach me how to meditate, and I wouldn't have been meditating when I saw my premonition, and we wouldn't have ended up leaving the chamber in time to be here for Frieza's arrival. So, really, my boombox saved the day."**

**Face-faulting to the ground, Piccolo sweatdropped as the insane logic actually made total sense. Gohan and Goku were scratching their heads in confusion, not able to follow the logic, while Yamcha and Krillin stared at each other in confusion. Bulma was the only one nodding along with Sofia while Puar trilled in slow understanding as well.**

**"Well I'm happy to help, regardless," the blue-haired woman remarked with a conspiratorial wink to Sofia. "Guys just don't get a woman's brilliant logic."**

**"Tell me about it," Sofia snorted and high fived Bulma as they both laughed.**

**Muttering under his breath, Piccolo stood up and relented, "Fine. Whatever. Just promise you'll keep the racket down to a minimum and only when we're _not_ training all together, ok?"**

**"Oh all right, you musically hostile buzzkill," Sofia shot back goofily, earning an irreverent chuckle from Goku and a stifled giggle from Gohan.**

**Growling, Piccolo began to ascend to the air, a clear indication that his sense of humor was out to lunch as he hovered high above, impatiently waiting for them to join him in departing.**

**"Oh well. Time to go!" Goku announced, but just before the 3 of them blasted off to the air, he turned and said, "Oh hey, take care of that baby, will you, Bulma?"**

**"Huh?!"**

* * *

 

**They took to the air and jetted off before Bulma could react, leaving her to deal with a sardonic Yamcha and a perplexed Krillin and Puar.**

**They were jetting through the sky at a quick clip, eager to reach the Son residence after such a crazy day. Gohan and Goku were chatting idly as they flew, catching up on the myriad of topics and events that had occurred while the elder Saiyan had been absent.**

**Piccolo glanced at Sofia, who seemed lost in thought, and decided it was time they have a talk, in private. Zooming to fall in formation next to Goku, he told his old rival that he and Gohan should go ahead, and that they'd meet up with them later.**

**"Huh? Well, okay. See you guys later then," Goku offered and waved before gesturing for Gohan to follow him home.**

**Snapping out of her autopilot mode, Sofia came to a stop along with Piccolo and watched father and son fly home at a decent speed before she turned towards her twin star.**

**"Is something wrong?"**

**"We need to talk. Plus, I don't really want to be around when Chi-Chi starts hollering," Piccolo answered before gesturing over his shoulder. "There's a spot I know close by. We'll have privacy," he remarked before turning and flying in that direction.**

**Sofia followed closely, trying to fight the bubble of anxiety that was welling in her stomach. She wasn't ready to have that talk yet. Sure, the primary reason for them to remain together had come and gone, and now it was time to figure out what to do, but she just didn't want to deal with it yet. Frowning, she began to follow his descent into a cool and serene clearing in the forest. She could hear the rush of a river nearby as they landed in the soft lush grass. Following him as he walked towards an outcropping of rocks, Sofia started to dwell on her anxious thoughts.**

**'Sofia.'**

**Stopping, she glanced over at him and saw he'd stopped right before stepping around the outcropping. His hand was extended towards her as he gestured with a tilt of his head for her to come see something. Blinking at him, she took his hand and let him lead her around the outcropping.**

**When they cleared the precarious terrain and ducked under some lush vegetation, she looked across at the beautiful sprawling mountain ranges and valleys that made up Mt. Paozu. Gasping, she stared in awe at the lovely sight for a couple of seconds before glancing up at Piccolo.**

**"This is where I was before I'd decided to go visit Gohan. That was…hardly a day or so ago out here. Figured it'd be a good place to talk," the imposing warrior spoke, his stoic baritone soft as he sat in the lotus position close to the edge that overlooked the green and vibrant valley below.**

**Going to sit beside him, Sofia couldn't suppress the tension within herself. She was anticipating his inevitable assertion that it was time to potentially part ways, when he suddenly sighed through his nose and closed his eyes. The silence that greeted her was unnerving, making her tense even more as she kept expecting him to say something definitive and final, but it never came.**

**Piccolo was thinking on how to best approach things. It was alien for them to interact intimately and be unguarded outside of the privacy and isolation of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. It already felt like ages since they'd been there, alone together. He began to…miss it.**

**"Don't make me say it."**

**Piccolo opened his eyes and looked down at her quizzically. She was stoically staring ahead, too afraid to look in his eyes.**

**"Say what?" he was staring searchingly at her, becoming aware of her tension, and feeling confused by it.**

**"Piccolo…I don't want to do this. I don't want to talk about...I—don't want to…" she started to become flustered, the sensation of the hot knot of tears catching in the back of her throat forcing her to take a sobering breath and gulp before the emotions could cause her eyes to well. "Just don't make me say it. I don't want to…"**

**Staring down at her for a moment, the usually unruffled warrior set his jaw before grumbling, "Why did you lie to me?"**

**"…What?" Sofia stared at him, completely taken off guard. "What do you mean?"**

**"You said we had to train to fight Frieza, but that was a lie. We were never meant to fight him at all; Trunks was. Yet, we spent all that time in the chamber training. I'm not mad…after all, it ended up not being all just about training, but…just wondering why you didn't tell me the truth earlier," he calmly mused, his earnest onyx orbs staring into her eyes as he added in a whisper, "I thought you trusted me better than that."**

**Feeling her heartstrings tug painfully at that, Sofia couldn't take it anymore.**

**Before he finished blinking, Sofia rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Oh my god, I thought you were going to dump me!" she whined dramatically and gave him a crushing hug. "I'm so sorry, Piccolo. I do trust you! I just was so afraid you'd be pissed off and regret everything we'd been through because we committed to entering the time chamber based on my misrepresentation of what was to occur. I…I just didn't want you to…" she pulled back and searched his eyes, finding his guard was completely down. Biting back tears, Sofia mustered to keep her eyes from welling up again when she exhaled, "I don't want to lose you."**

**Her daunting admission hung in the air. She felt completely vulnerable, and could feel her guard slowly going up in that protective mechanism she'd fashioned after years of pain, rejection and isolation, when suddenly, Piccolo pulled her close.**

**His hand cupped her cheek as he leaned in and said in a gruff huff, "You're so neurotic! Quit jumping to conclusions and just talk to me next time, would yah?"**

**Stunned, Sofia's eyes went wide, completely at a loss for words.**

**Leaning in further, Piccolo brushed his lips against hers tenderly, causing the tension to melt out of her body as she kissed him back. When they parted, he encircled her waist and hugged her back, a rare and sweet gesture that made her feel effervescent and silly.**

**A comfortable pause fell between them.**

**"You were pretty…friendly with them," Piccolo suddenly mused.**

**Glancing at him, she tilted her head curiously. "With who?"**

**"That Trunks kid," he responded stoically at first, but his tone grew somewhat sullen when he groused, "And that jackass Vegeta."**

**Brows furrowing in wonder, Sofia's expression slowly turned conspiratorial as she gasped, "Are you jealous?"**

**"Of course not!" he snapped a little too forcefully than he'd intended, so he coughed and continued levelly, "I just noticed how you treated them versus how much guff you gave Yamcha—"**

**"Ugh, that's because Yamcha is sooooo annoying! I mean seriously – who gets taken out by a Saibamen and still walks around like he's such a fucking cool dude?! Bleh, I seriously can't even with him and his self-centered ass—"**

**"And Vegeta isn't self-centered?" he cut in mildly, adding snidely, 'he's a egomaniacal, sociopathic sonuvabitch who thinks he's an untouchable genius we all should worship and pay homage to."**

**"…Doesn't that sound a little familiar to you?" she posed, a small smirk pulling at her lips.**

**Fixing her with a withering look, Piccolo was about to bark that he hated when she answered in riddles when it slowly started to dawn on him. "…Oh…"**

**Leaning forward to give him a wry look before pecking him on the cheek, she said, "Yep. I remember this dude going by Ma Junior who entered a certain World Martial Arts Tournament and acted very much like the big bad foe too. He came in all hot, talking about wanting to enslave the human race and have dominion over the Earth – after killing a certain easygoing fighter that was always one step ahead of him, of course. But, luckily for him, he had a lot of help finding that his ambitions weren't really his, and he decided to change," Sofia murmured serenely and smiled when he pressed his lips together and thoughtfully stared over in the direction of the Son residence. "You only got a glimpse of it on Namek, and trust me I know you probably were a little too preoccupied to notice it, but Vegeta has that same ability to change. It's buried deep, sure, but it's there. And it'll take more than it did for you, but that sonuvabitch has the capacity to become not only an ally, but dare I say, a friend," she mused, adding quickly, "And _only_ a friend, ok? After all, he and Bulma are gonna be the parents to a bouncing baby Trunks in a couple of years."**

**Huffing a long exhale at that, Piccolo cocked a skeptical brow ridge at her when he muttered, "I distinctly remember you asking me if you could flirt with him—"**

**"Oh for the love of God! I was only trying to tease you and make you jealous, Piccolo," Sofia exclaimed, eyes narrowing impishly as she added, "and here I am finding out it totally worked."**

**Growling, he pulled her against him and husked, " _Fine_. Seeing you be so goddamned deferential and bantering with him all day pissed me off. And I didn't like how he stared at you—"**

**Blinking, Sofia chirped, "You were pissed?"**

**"Yes," he hissed, eyes narrowing as he remembered how the mercurial Saiyan roved his scathing gaze up and down her body at different times, reminding him of his impulse to crack the bastard in the jaw. "If he looked at you one more time…" he trailed off when Sofia caressed his cheek. He focused his gaze on hers, and saw how she was beaming with pride at him.**

**"Well trust me. All the dude and me will ever be are friends. He and Bulma…that's something special," she murmured sweetly, shrugging coolly as she added, "Not to mention you're my super sexy twin star and you're stuck with me!"**

**Snorting at that, Piccolo growled in that gravelly drawl she loved, "You got that right."**

**Snickering, Sofia leaned in and kissed him before resting her head on his shoulder with a fawning sigh.**

**They didn't talk for a while; cherishing the short time they had to be alone together before they'd have to trek back to the Son residence.**

**Playing with a fold of fabric on his shoulder pad, Sofia finally spoke up in a soft whisper, "I don't want to beat a dead horse—"**

**"Then don't. I know what you're worried about. Like we agreed before: this isn't a temporary thing. But…we don't have to figure it all out right now," he cut in firmly, getting lost in her gorgeous crimson eyes when she looked at him in that way that made him feel…loved.**

**Her smile softened suddenly when she realized that even after all the craziness and shocking reveals today, he still trusted her. It was something that caused relief and pride to swell in her, as well as her heart to brim over with love.**

**"You never cease to surprise me. I thought you were ready to read me the riot act, and here you are, being so damned lovable and sexy…" she purred at him, causing him to grunt goofily and blush.**

**"You're the one jumping to conclusions and getting yourself worked up! I just wanted to ask a simple question, and I end up with you all flustered having to be talked down from the ledge," he complained acerbically while she sweatdropped and laughed self-consciously.**

**"If it means getting sexy and sweet kisses from you, I might do it more often," she goofily mused and batted her lashes at him flirtatiously.**

**He rolled his eyes. "Keep dreaming. Now that I know your angle, I'll just let you spiral. Can't go around encouraging such behavior, after all," he joked, chuckling when she pouted disdainfully at him.**

**"Yeah-yeah, you love it when I get worked up. Don't even try to play off like you don't," she jeered comically, her expression not able to reach the level of seriousness she wanted.**

**"It's a good thing I succeeded in working you up then. It's gonna be a while before I can do it again," he mused, his voice hitting that gravelly baritone that caused butterflies to flutter in her belly.**

**"Oh god, don't even joke like that. Stop tempting me, you hunk, you," she growled at him before pouncing, earning a surprised grunt from him as they ended up sprawled on the ground.**

**"W-Wait! Not here, you crazy woman!" Piccolo protested, skittishly hopping away and taking flight to hover away from the cliff edge before she could pounce on him again.**

**"You're such a tease," she laughed before sighing dramatically. "Oh fine. We'll just have to carve out some one-on-one time very soon, understood?" she mused and winked affectionately at him before slowly ascending to join him.**

**Blushing, Piccolo huffed. "We're going to be _training_ , Sofia," he muttered in an admonishing tone. "Now let's get to Son's. Hopefully the fireworks have passed by now."**

**Her turn to roll her eyes, Sofia took flight with him, but not before musing provocatively over their rapport, 'We can't train 24/7 for 3 years straight, babe. Trust me. You'll be wanting to have some alone time when you least expect it.'**

**Snorting, he glanced at her sidelong as he groused, 'Oh yeah? And how do you know for sure?'**

**'Because if I'm already craving getting you alone, I can't wait to see how long it'll take for you to want to have me all to yourself,' Sofia purred before smirking and blasting off at high speed towards the Son family residence.**

**Blinking as she jetted away, Piccolo gulped. As if on cue, his mind was already betraying him with a steady stream of sultry memories involving their 'alone time,' and he could feel the heat of anticipation warm his blood.**

**_Dammit…it's gonna be a long and frustrating exercise in self-control at this rate…_ **

* * *

 

**They'd arrived after Goku had unintentionally sent Chi-Chi sailing through the wall and a tree outside to crash against a boulder on the other side of the house. Mercifully, by the time they decided to approach the premises, Chi-Chi had relented in her haranguing and had agreed to let Gohan train with them.**

**Knocking on the door, Sofia had poked her head in cautiously and greeted Chi-Chi, who even covered in bandages sprang up from her chair to gawk at her transformed appearance and badger her with tons of questions. Piccolo hung back outside while Sofia exchanged pleasantries for a bit and filled the raving raven-haired woman in on most of the past events since she'd last left the Son residence.**

**Once Goku explained that Sofia would also be training with them, he meekly asked his overbearing wife if it was okay for the inter-dimensional traveler to stay with them, and was floored when Chi-Chi enthusiastically agreed.**

**"Wow, really? You're not mad?" Goku gawked comically at his wife, who looked at him sharply before scoffing.**

**"Of course not! It'll be nice to have some company around here that doesn't have a Y chromosome for once. And anyway, Sofia's not from our realm – where else would she go?" Chi-Chi had rationalized before formally extending the invite. "We'd love to have you stay, Sofia. We don't have a lot of room, but you're more than welcome to spend time here when you're not beating each other up with all that training."**

**Feeling touched by the selfless offer, Sofia smiled genuinely at Chi-Chi, Goku and Gohan. "Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate it. And no worries – I'll do chores, cook, clean, whatever you need; no mooching," she'd stated resolutely.**

**"Oh man, speaking of food…" Goku's stomach interrupted him as it raucously growled. "I'm starving!"**

**While Chi-Chi cooked dinner, Goku and Gohan took Sofia to the small little building that resided on the same property as their cottage. Nestled on the west side from their house, they came upon the humble little home that used to be Goku's childhood residence before he'd met Bulma and embarked on his first adventure for the dragon balls. Even after all this time, the small home was still preserved and taken care of, albeit a little dusty once the door was opened.**

**"Yeah, since we don't have a lot of storage space, I keep a lot of my old stuff in here," Goku explained as he carried his folded Yardratian outfit into the one-room home, followed meekly by Gohan – sans his Saiyan battle outfit and armor – and reverently by Sofia.**

**Staring around the room, Sofia walked cautiously around, almost afraid to disturb anything. "Oh wow…it's like you got to keep your bachelor pad, huh," she mused as Goku opened up a big trunk at the far side of the room before placing the folded clothes and breastplate in it.**

**"Hah, I guess so. It's great – sometimes I come in here when I think of my grandpa a lot. But in the last few years, it's sort of become more of my place to stash heirlooms and stuff," the jovial Saiyan remarked when Sofia came to stand next to him and peered into the large storage trunk.**

**Gasping, Sofia reached in – before realizing how impolite it was—pulled out something and held it in her hands in awe. "Whoa…is this your Power Pole?!"**

**Glancing at the staff, Goku replied, "Uh-huh! You know your stuff. I haven't used that in a while."**

**"It's so cool…" she held it up and wielded it, whirling it around skillfully in it's retracted state before smiling over at Goku.**

**"Take it for a spin!" he encouraged affably. "You know the magic words, right?"**

**Blinking in awe, she became skittish. "Oh man, I couldn't – I mean, hell, I don't think I've seen anyone but you use it. Would it even listen to me?"**

**"Sure! You just have to concentrate. The length it extends to depends on what you will it to be in your mind. It's pretty neat," Goku explained and began pulling her outside as he encouraged her to give it a try. "C'mon, don't be shy! Show us what you got."**

**"It's cool, Sofia. Dad doesn't mind, really," Gohan reassured as he joined in the encouraging.**

**"Haha, okay…I've always wanted to do this," she mused as she took a stance, holding the Power Pole perpendicular to the ground as she took a sobering breath and concentrated. "Power Pole: Extend!"**

**Piccolo watched from where he sat as Sofia held on to the magical staff as it shot off into the sky, smirking when he heard her 'yahoooo!' as she ascended.**

**Staring down at her friends as they laughed and waved at her, Sofia cackled goofily and hopped up to balance up on one foot at the top of the staff. "This is awesome! Woooo!"**

**Goku laughed, patting Gohan on the head as they continued to wave at Sofia.**

**"Power Pole: Retract!" she shouted, and flipped in the air to descend and grab the staff for it to keep pulling her down to the ground. "Wheeee!"**

**"Hahaha, you're a natural!" Goku cheered when she touched down on the ground and spun the staff around herself expertly before it finished retracting.**

**"Oh my god that was the coolest thing ever!" she exclaimed in an enthusiastic rush. "Thanks, Goku. You're the best," she piped as she reverently handed him back the magical staff.**

**"Aww, it's nothing," the happy go lucky man beamed. "I'm impressed, Sofia. I can tell that Piccolo trained you really well, but there's something about your style that's unique to you."**

**"Huh? Really? What do you mean?" Sofia blinked in surprise before she smiled ear to ear from the compliment. _Whoa—Goku just gave me props?! So surreal~!_**

**"Yeah! It's like you have a sort of grace and agility to your style that I haven't seen. It's pretty cool. Can't wait to see how you fight," Goku eagerly stated, always loving the glee of talking, thinking and breathing the anticipation for battle.**

**Sweatdropping, Sofia began to wave her hands in protest as she piped, "Hey now—I'm not crazy enough to seriously think I can square up against you, Goku. So please don't expect too much—"**

**"Nonsense."**

**Glancing over at Piccolo, who loped over to the rest of them, Sofia watched as he approached Goku and confidently added, "She's bluffing. All skittish now, but just wait until you get her in a spar; doesn't hold back, fiercely wants to win, even if it started as a friendly one-on-one. Not only that, if you think she's gonna pull punches, you'll only succeed in nursing a bruised jaw for a few days."**

**"Oh wow, really? That sounds great! Woo-hooo! Then I want to spar with her first, okay, Piccolo? Please?" Goku began to cheer excitedly, hopping back and forth and pestering the Namekian warrior with his pleading.**

**Gohan laughed as he watched his father hound his mentor, who rolled his eyes and finally had to bark at the shorter man that he didn't care who fought first.**

**Sofia found herself feeling an overwhelming sense of pride from the attention, and couldn't help flexing her muscle as she phased between the two fighters like a bolt of lighting and grabbed their forearms before shaking them enthusiastically. "I can't believe we're all gonna spend the next three years training! In this corner, I got Piccolo – the most calculating and expert fighter and dare I say one cool ass sensei, and in this corner, I got the one and only Goku – the greatest warrior and nicest freaking guy you'll ever meet! I'm so excited~!" she chirped and began to bounce between them, jerking them goofily back and forth along with her.**

**"Heeheeheehee! Aw that's just too nice of you to say," Goku chuckled in that goofy way of his while Piccolo sweatdropped and scowled comically.**

**"Enough praise! Just remember – both of you – that this training will be serious business, understood?" Piccolo groused, directing the latter half of his comment to both Gohan and Sofia. "As a matter of fact, what're we doing just goofing off?! Let's get some sparring in right now," he stated imposingly before muttering to Goku, "at least before your harpy wife gets wind and starts hollering."**

**Incapable of taking umbrage, Goku laughed and slapped Piccolo on the back good-naturedly, causing the Namek to slightly waver. "Hey, not a bad idea, Piccolo. Got anywhere in mind?"**

**"As a matter of fact, I do."**

* * *

 

**Goku was beyond impressed. Sitting on the cold rock and staring up at the sparring session going on above in the air, he watched with fascination as his son and Sofia countered, grappled, and pummeled each other in hand-to-hand combat. He was pleased to see his son had progressed swimmingly in his fighting technique since Namek, and smiled when the boy expertly blocked a precise punch from Sofia that would've plowed him down to the snow-covered bluff, but ended up skidding backwards in the air from the skillful roundhouse kick she leveled as a counter that connected with his chin. Shaking the blow off, Gohan recovered quickly and was blasting off towards her and throwing a flurry of punch combos that she blocked, phased in and around of, then flipped away from to blast towards him and level her own round of punches and jabs.**

**Assessing her agility and speed, Goku realized she was holding back – keeping the spar fun.**

**"Hey – don't hold back on Gohan's account!"**

**Pausing in mid blow, Sofia turned in mid air to blink down at Goku. "I'm not—!"**

**"Yeah you are," Piccolo shouted from his meditating position on the incline across from Goku, opening one eye to glance up at her.**

**"Uh-huh, you are. I can tell you're faster than that. C'mon, don't hold back," Goku whined good-naturedly and practically vibrated with excitement as he added, "I wanna see what you can really do!"**

**Snickering at that, Sofia looked back at Gohan. "Is that a fact? Then wanna tag in for Gohan—"**

**Before she finished the statement, Goku was floating across from her, giggling merrily and clapping his hands together.**

**"Heeheeheehee, oh man, I'm so excited~!" he mused, his eyes cresting with happy mirth as Gohan laughed and touched back down on the ground to skip over to Piccolo.**

**"Good luck, Dad! She punches and kicks really hard," the demi-Saiyan offered as he plopped down next to Piccolo and rubbed his aching forearms that were knotted with welts from fending off her blows.**

**Leaning a forearm over his bent knee, Piccolo got ready to watch the show, feeling pride bubble in his chest while his features remained guarded.**

**"Goku, I gotta tell you something that's gonna sound super geeky…" Sofia stated genuinely as she grabbed her left torn sleeve and ripped it off clean from her arm before tossing it down to the ground and repeating the same action with her other sleeve. "But this is the raddest thing ever! I can't wait to go toe-to-toe with you~!" she chirped and flashed him a brilliant grin as she stretched her arms above her head.**

**Piccolo internally gulped, his eyes roving her bare arms and fixating on the swell of her cleavage when she slapped her arms back down against her sides before falling into her fighting stance. _Damn…she looks good._**

**"Well then, give me your best shot!" Goku remarked affably, remaining in his casual pose and smiling over at her.**

**Hair fluttering in the arctic breeze that kicked up around them, Sofia smirked as she brushed some rogue strands behind her ear. "Alrighty!"**

**She moved so fast that if he'd blinked, he wouldn't have seen her coming at all. Dodging her punch, Goku's "Oooh," sounded impressed before he ducked from her next jab, evaded her kick and caught the punch that would've broken his nose. Blinking with wonder at her, the wide-eyed fighter saw the intensity in her crimson eyes as she pulled her fist away and practically zipped around him to kick him square in the back, sending him skidding in the air before he halted his descent and righted his position.**

**Snapping his gaze back at her, Sofia saw all the fun and wonder flint away from Goku's features to be replaced by that concentrated and guarded regard he wore when he was taking a battle seriously.**

**Staring incredulously up at the sparring opponents, Gohan's jaw continued to drop when they began to zoom and zip past each other, their colliding blows and blocks seeming like flashes and flares of light to the uninitiated. "Whoa…" the boy exhaled as he watched Sofia plant her boot into Goku's stomach before his father recovered and flipped her backward by the ankle to send her careening in the air before she blasted her ki and stopped herself from plummeting to the jagged icy tundra below.**

**Piccolo saw that competitive spark light in Sofia's eyes when Goku chuckled affably and patted his stomach goofily as he chortled, "That was good, but it just tickled mostly. Is that all you got, Sofia?"**

**"Big mistake," Piccolo huffed musingly and smirked.**

**"Is that a fact, Kakarot?! Then, _get over here_!" Sofia snarled and lifted her hand up at the fighter, but instead of the ki blast he expected, Goku was suddenly overcome by the eerie sensation of being pulled by an invisible force anchored like a harness around his chest to fly towards her, unbidden.**

**"Whoooaaaaa!" the fighter cried out in surprise as he careened towards her and watched as she phased out right before he collided with her to instead pummel him from all sides like she was a spinning top – leveling a flurry of kicks, punches, elbows and knees that he'd barely be able to recover from before the next blow sent him whirling about.**

**"Holy cow!" Gohan shouted and jumped up, watching as Sofia's combos disoriented the fighter long enough to give her time to appear high in the air above him with her arms glowing with her coalescing energy as she charged up her attack.**

**Shaking his head goofily to remove the spirals in his eyes, Goku dully looked up and saw Sofia was glowing with a vibrant red aura. "Heeheehee, that's pretty," he distractedly chuckled before finally snapping out of his stupor to concentrate. "Whoa now – I thought we were sticking to just sparring?!"**

**"You said you wanted me to give you my best shot and to show you what I got, so here it is! Can you handle it, Kakarot?!" she barked out competitively, the zeal of her battle flooring her further as she smirked confidently when she brought her glowing palms together and supercharged her attack before pointing them straight down at him and shouting, "Crimson Wave!"**

**The loud blast resounded across the arctic tundra after the dizzying attack detonated and flared sonic energy waves up to the gray sky; illuminating it in a myriad shades of red and burgundy before slowly returning back to normal.**

**Panting from the exertion and efforts of concentrating such a massive attack so quickly, Sofia stared down at the hazy vapor that fluttered and obscured where she'd targeted her blast. "Oh crap. Did I overdo it?!" she shouted down, sweatdropping when she finally heard Gohan coughing and began to see the silhouette of an unscathed Goku still floating in the same spot.**

**Piccolo was standing on the peak of a snowy hill adjacent to where their sparring site used to be, holding Gohan by the back of his shirt while the boy continued to sputter.**

**"Wow, Sofia! That was a great attack," she shook her head and glanced back at Goku, who was smiling ear to ear, hands at his hips as he giggled up at her. "I mean, we can't spar here anymore, but wow, that was good. If I had hair on my arms, I'm sure it would've singed them clear off!"**

**Face-faulting in the air, Sofia dropped down to hover next to the snow peak Piccolo and Gohan were on, hanging her head down in defeat. "Oh maaaaaaan. That's so lame! You're unreal, Goku, truly freaking unreal!" she pouted and crossed her arms haughtily. "That's one of my best attacks, and you just dodged it?!"**

**Phasing in to hover across from her, Goku scratched his chin. "Huh? What do you mean? I didn't dodge it. Just disarmed it with my own energy. Sure a lot of the brunt of the attack ended up splintering all around me, but I swear I didn't jump out of the way," the Saiyan soberly mused and watched as Sofia's jaw dropped.**

**Glancing around him, she looked down and realized that the site where her energy detonated was concave except for a sliver of rock that was oddly in the shape of Goku; spiky-haired outline was unmistakable.**

**"Holy shit…Goku…" she floated over to him and stared in awe into his confused features. "You are AWESOME! Do you even know how much power I put behind that?! I'm probably tapped out for the rest of the day, and you took it like it was a hot breeze. You gotta teach me how to do that!" Sofia enthusiastically retorted, zipping all around him as she gushed.**

**Grunting with humor, Piccolo shook his head and let Gohan down. "You two got carried away and now we gotta find somewhere else to spar," he admonished acerbically before glancing at Gohan. "Remind me to not let your father taunt Sofia like that again."**

**Laughing, Goku impishly reached his arms behind his head and grinned while Gohan chuckled and Sofia mockingly narrowed her eyes at that.**

**'Harr-dee-harr,' she sourly shot at him over their rapport, tossing her hair back and stretching before stopping when one of the belted shoulder straps holding up her top snapped off and came dangerously close to revealing her round and supple breast.**

**Piccolo face-faulted to the snowy rock while Goku and Gohan blinked over at him.**

**Snickering knowingly, Sofia distracted them by announcing, "Oh no, Piccolo must be totally dehydrated! Hey wait, isn't it about time we head back for dinner?"**

**"Huh? Oh yeah! Let's go eat. I'm staaaarving~!" Goku announced, huddling everyone to be pushed tightly together, wrapping an arm around them while he raised two fingers to his forehead. Using Instant Transmission, he teleported everyone back home to arrive in the middle of the kitchen, shocking Chi-Chi so bad she fell backwards out of her chair.**

**"Whoops! Sorry, hun," Goku nervously laughed.**

**Once they'd had dinner, Goku and Gohan went out back to share a hot bath in that big drum they used on such extended bathing occasions while Sofia helped Chi-Chi with the dishes. Sitting lotus style in the living room, Piccolo watched her interact with the raving woman, but his eyes weren't focused on Goku's wife at all. Instead, he was admiring Sofia's battle-worn appearance as she adjusted her top so it wouldn't slip too low and end up being a risqué peepshow. Brushing the rogue strands of hair out of her face, she laughed at something Chi-Chi said, continuing to dry the dinner plate in her hand before placing it in the cupboard and picking up another. Piccolo's mind flashed to the last time he'd seen her nude, and he had to fight the blush that threatened to heat his emerald features.**

**"Oh man – my button popped too!" Sofia lamented goofily as she stared down at the missing fastening and laughed with Chi-Chi. "You're cooking is gonna mess up this lithe belly I've worked so hard to flatten, girl."**

**Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Piccolo's eyes roved her bare midriff as the hem of her now-cropped one-shoulder-strapped top rose further when she stretched to lean back against the counter and continued laughing. When Chi-Chi went back to the sink to continue scrubbing a stubborn pan, Sofia glanced over and caught Piccolo's gaze. Pressing his lips together until they made a thin line, the usually brooding Namek diverted his gaze knowingly away when she suppressed her alluring smile and winked at him.**

**"I'm going to take a quick shower and get out of these tattered clothes," Sofia announced, placing the rest of the dried plates into the cupboard with her telekinesis and loping past the living room to the hallway before pausing in her stride. 'Want to join me, stud?'**

**Glowering at her, Piccolo huffed, 'Stop being fresh. You know damn well that's not happening.'**

**Rolling her eyes dramatically, Sofia purred, 'You're the one staring at me with that 'come hither' look.' When he scowled and diverted his gaze broodingly, she added, 'Still don't want to get me all to yourself?'**

**Standing and heading for the open window, Piccolo looked back at her over his shoulder and mused before he exited and took flight, 'Meet me at the spot I showed you earlier.'**

**Smiling, Sofia glanced at Chi-Chi and saw she'd been too preoccupied to pick up on their private exchange.**

**_God I love that Namek._ **

* * *

 

**It'd been two weeks since the fighters had begun their training together, and so far their routines had fallen into a rhythm that was pleasant, gregarious and filled with camaraderie. After that first afternoon training in the sparse and frigid arctic, they had all bonded as a fighting unit. They encouraged each other to not only strive further, but to not hold back in their intensity. Fiercely training with a regiment that ran the gamut – from simple hand-to-hand combat, to energy attacks, and more, the foursome of fighters had developed a close-knit focus, learning from each other and challenging each other to be more dynamic in battle.**

**Sofia had never felt so welcomed and accepted before in her entire life. While the days were filled with grueling sparring and training sessions at different locations, once dusk came, the group would return to the small cottage in the valley and rest. Most nights after they'd all share a meal, Piccolo would remain around the perimeter of the home, sitting in calm meditation outside while the Son family and Sofia chatted and relaxed before going to bed. While the family slept, Sofia would spend hours talking to Piccolo telepathically while she laid on her bedroll on the living room floor, now too tall to sleep comfortably on the couch.**

**On certain occasions, she'd sneak out of the house and spend time with him. Mostly, they'd go back to that outcropping that overlooked the valley and watch the stars together; relishing the quiet moments they could share in simple intimacy. Plus, Piccolo couldn't be cajoled into doing anything beyond going to first base out in the middle of the forest, so Sofia avoided her pouting and frustration by just enjoying being near him. Truth be told, Piccolo did have to seriously convince himself to not succumb to his desires in those moments, but the thought that always sobered him was the awkward chance that they'd get carried away and be found in a very compromising position by either a dense Goku or a startled Gohan.**

**Still, sexual tension aside, they were able to conceal their intimate relationship from the others very successfully. _It's only been 2 weeks though…_  Sofia suddenly mused to herself. She wryly doubted she could make it more than a month without ending up jumping Piccolo's bones, whether under the cover of night or right in front of a mortified Son family. Snickering at the mental image of Chi-Chi fainting at the sight while Goku and Gohan balked in shock, Sofia glanced over at father and son as they flew ahead holding their catch for dinner that night. **

**'This is the life, ain't it?' she mused telepathically to Piccolo, who was flying next to her on her right.**

**'Beats being dead, that's for sure,' he retorted, giving her a wry smirk when she shot a startled look at him.**

**'Jeez—so morose! And really, was being on King Kai's planet all that bad?' she joked, earning a grunt from the usually antisocial Namek.**

**'Feh. I don't know what was worse: Yamcha's constant bitching, or all the stupid jokes King Kai would try out on us. Oh wait – it was his annoying training steps,' Piccolo grumbled, but smiled despite himself when Sofia giggled softly over their rapport.**

**They landed in the front yard of the small cottage and hung back when Goku and Gohan went into the house with the catch of the day. Leaning against the tree closest to the front door, Piccolo crossed his arms while Sofia took the chance to stretch her muscles for a moment before she dipped down to her toes and glanced through the open front door. She saw Chi-Chi look frazzled and exhausted as she sat at the kitchen table with crumpled unpacked grocery bags on the tabletop. Father and son were going on and on about being bushed and needing a bath, and Sofia froze in mid stretch as she realized how familiar that was.**

**'Uh oh…' she sing-sung in her mind.**

**"Hmm?" Piccolo glanced at her before staring into the house and seeing Chi-Chi moodily glaring at him. 'Uh…why's she looking at me like that?'**

**Before Sofia could answer, Chi-Chi went into her tirade, yelling at husband and son for being inconsiderate dolts who expected her to cook and clean mindlessly while they soaked in a hot bath.**

**"—and it's all because we don't have a car!" she bellowed at everyone now, hitting the zenith of her exasperation.**

**"Uh, Chi-Chi, I'd drive you if I could. But, you know I don't have a driver's license yet," Goku cautiously retorted.**

**"Well it's time YOU GOT ONE! I don't know why you have to be the only man in this town who doesn't have a driver's license or a car!" she wailed vehemently.**

**Wincing, Sofia watched on as Goku turned to Piccolo. "You can't drive, can you?"**

**"LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!" Piccolo barked hastily.**

**"I want BOTH of you to put your training on hold for now and go to driving school tomorrow," she shouted before lowering her tone as she added, "I think it's about time the two of you learn something useful for a change."**

**"Say WHAT?!" Piccolo comically balked.**

**"Aw, Chi-Chi, do we have to?"**

**"Listen, all I'm asking you two to do is get your driver's license. It's not like I'm asking you to save the world!" When the two warriors just sputtered in comic fashion, Chi-Chi added, "And if you don't, you'll have to cook your OWN meals from now on. Understand?!"**

**Stiffly grunting, gulping and nodding, Piccolo and Goku cringed inwardly while Gohan balked at the power his mother wielded while Sofia sighed tensely.**

**"Umm…hey Chi-Chi, take a load off and let me cook tonight? You've had a long day. And from now on, how 'bout letting me go get the groceries? It'll take me no time—" Sofia began to offer in appeasement when the raven-haired woman whirled around.**

**"Oh no, Sofia! You're a houseguest and will not take up the slack of managing this household, got it?! And don't try to run interference for these two! As adults, the LEAST they could do is get something as basic as a driver's license so I can get a car and not be running like a mad woman over mountains and across valleys to stock the pantry for them. Do I make myself clear?!" Chi-Chi snapped vehemently until she was red in the face and her fly away hairs stuck up further from her head.**

**Still leaning backwards on the balls of her feet, Sofia nodded, earning the approval of the fearsome woman before she turned and headed back down the hallway to freshen up before prepping dinner.**

**"Well then, guess you two are gonna have one hell of a day tomorrow," Sofia broke the tension by suddenly chirping comically while dancing between a disconcerted Piccolo and bemused Goku. "Ya'll are going to driving school~!"**

**Laughing nervously, Gohan mused, "It shouldn't be that challenging for them, right?"**

**Pausing in her two-step, Sofia made a goofy sound before moonwalking away and into the house. "Start prayin', fellas~!" she sing-sung back to them as they all looked at each other and sweatdropped.**

* * *

 

**_Mmmmmmmm…oh my god, look at his butt~! Oh lord, give me the self-control to not pounce on this fine-ass Namek and rip his clothes off with my teeth—_ **

**Sofia was desperately trying not to let her eyes become comic anime hearts as she stared at Piccolo, who was currently standing crossed-armed and nursing one hell of a moody attitude while Goku was still getting ready inside.**

**'Would you stop staring?!' Piccolo growled self-consciously over at her.**

**Biting her lip and inhaling dramatically, she purred, 'Listen, you're lucky all I'm doing is staring, ok?! I mean…' she paused and glanced at his fantastic ass in those jeans, and sighed. 'Promise me you'll ask to keep the outfit—'**

**'These ridiculous clothes are _not_  mine to keep, you pervy hentai!' Piccolo snapped, trying to repress the blush threatening to heat his emerald features.**

**Making a popping sound with her lips after licking them, Sofia glanced back into the house when she heard Goku still trying to bargain his way out of the situation with Chi-Chi and failing miserably at it. 'Hey…I'm curious. Did she give you a pair of Goku's boxers to wear too?' she piped musingly, and got a snide glance from Piccolo.**

**'Ugh—as if I'd be caught dead wearing his damned underwear too, Sofia!'**

**Snickering, Sofia conspiratorially glanced at him and with a Cheshire cat smile, drawling, 'So you're saying you're currently going commando in those jeans?'**

**'…I don't know what that means,' he honestly grumbled.**

**Letting the steam out of her shirt collar, Sofia purred, 'You're free balling in Goku's jeans, Piccolo! I don't think it'd be appropriate for you to return them after your yummy parts have been all up on them.'**

**Blinking comically at her and sweating with embarrassment, Piccolo stomped back over to the entrance of the small cottage and shouted, "Dammit, Goku! Let's just get this over with so we can get back to training!"**

**"Okay okay, I'm coming!" Goku shouted lamely back at him down from the end of the hallway before rushing out of the bedroom, waving goodbye to Gohan as he ran by his bedroom door, to then appear in the kitchen with a pout as he adjusted his orange Fred-Flintstone-inspired button down shirt.**

**"Looking sharp, Goku!" Sofia complimented and gave him a goofy gesture –pointing her fingers at him like they were guns and pretending to shoot them at him. "They better watch out – there's two lady killers coming to driving school~!"**

**Laughing with that iconic irreverent giggle of his, Goku scratched the back of his head as he stood in from of a now glowering Piccolo. "You're too much," he chuckled at Sofia. "Sorry, Piccolo. There's just no talking Chi-Chi out of it. We might as well go and do our best."**

**"Yeah, let's just get going. It's not too hard—" Sofia began before Piccolo cut her off with a berating glare.**

**"Oh no, you're staying right here. Don't need you coming along to laugh at our expense," he muttered sternly.**

**Sofia scowled at that. Giving them both a defiant once over, they expected her to go on her own tirade, when she suddenly shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. Good luck, you too," she mused stoically and relented, walking away coolly back into the house.**

**_That was way too easy…_ ** **Piccolo frowned internally, but let the matter go once he and Goku took flight in direction of the driving school near East City. Just a couple of days of lessons, and this aggravating ordeal would be over.**

**_This shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish…_ **

* * *

 

**"FAILED THE TEST?! WHAT DO YOU _MEAN_ YOU FAILED THE TEST?!"**

**Piccolo and Goku stood and took the baleful barrage, sweating with embarrassment.**

**"You're telling me neither of you muscle heads got your license?!" Chi-Chi shouted, flabbergasted.**

**"Uh, yeah…" Goku responded meekly, while Piccolo grunted and nodded.**

**Overloaded, Chi-Chi fainted, but was caught from hitting the ground completely by Sofia, who used her telekinetic ability to levitate her from crashing to the wood floor. Since she was out cold, she levitated Chi-Chi to the couch to sleep off her consternation before coming back into the kitchen, her hands on her hips with an amused look on her face.**

**"Well, Gohan and I know how you guys tried. But really, next time you have to come prepared before taking actual driving lessons," she affably mused, earning a groan from Goku and a haughty glare from Piccolo.**

**"Oh c'mon! It was super hard," Goku whined, adding lamely, "Was there even a chance we were going to get our driver's licenses at all?"**

**Grunting in agreement, Piccolo pushed off the tree he was leaning against and crossed his arms. "Now that it's over, you can tell us, right?"**

**Humming as she rocked back goofily on her heels, Sofia put her hands behind her head as she chirped, "Nope! You guys were supposed to fail the first time around. But boy, was it freaking hilarious to watch you both literally crash and burn."**

**"First time around?!" Gohan repeated, blinking up at the adults before petting Icarus, who nudged him affectionately.**

**"There's no way I'm doing that again!" Piccolo snapped, scowling while Goku pouted and nodded in agreement.**

**Laughing, Sofia walked over and stood between the two fighters before tossing an arm around each of their shoulders and pulling them in for a huddle. "Don't be a brat, Postboy. And have a little more confidence, Goku! Gohan and I believe you can accomplish it next time; we saw the potential you both had. I mean, sure, you two completely sucked at driving, couldn't merge lanes, definitely didn't respect the rules of the road, and oh—were menaces to society while behind the wheel—"**

**"We _get_ it already!" Piccolo growled, but wasn't able to completely derail Sofia.**

**"BUT! Like anything else, learning how to drive requires practice," she finished, squeezing her arms around their shoulders as she smiled, "And lucky for you, I've practiced some driving before back in my dimension. Sure it wasn't with a hover car, but with a little training, I think I can help you guys prepare for the next time."**

**"…WAIT. You KNEW how to drive this whole time, and you didn't say anything until now?! Why did you let us go and take those stupid lessons and waste our time when you _knew_ we would fail miserably!?" Piccolo towered over her and began barking in flustered rage. Scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, Goku slid away sideways so Sofia could lean to the side and brace herself against the Namek's tirade. **

**Once he took a pause, Sofia's eyes flared red when she poked him in the middle of his 'Postboy' shirt-clad chest. "BECAUSE NO ONE ASKED ME, NOW DID THEY?! YOU DIDN'T EVEN WANT ME TO TAG ALONG WITH YOU GUYS YESTERDAY, SO DON'T BE ALL SALTY NOW!" she bellowed right back at him, now towering over him as she harangued him fearlessly while Goku and Gohan watched – her barking tone so fearsome it spooked the demi-Saiyan's pet dragon to scamper out of the house and fly away.**

**When her red eyes stopped glowing with fury, Piccolo blinked at her and sweatdropped. Sofia's temper cooled just as quickly as it flared, especially when she realized she was yelling at her twin star while he was still in that adorably fashion-blind outfit – 'Gokuu' hat still on backwards on his head and everything. The utter ridiculousness of it diffused her.**

**"Whoa…and I thought Chi-Chi could yell…" Goku piped up with child-like wonder in his wide eyes and across his stunned expression. "Hey, hold on—you said you two saw the potential we both had. That can only be true if you guys saw us during our driving lesson, right?" Goku thoughtfully mused as he tapped his chin, almost as if the gesture helped him concentrate.**

**"…" Sofia and Gohan blinked and looked at each other, before they both nervously giggled.**

**Sure enough, during the previous day, both friends had snuck out of the house to watch the two fighters fail miserably in their driving lessons, having a good laugh at how utterly clueless the two were at basic driving 101. Gohan practically had to hold Sofia up while she cackled and guffawed with such intensity that she was left holding her sides, goofily breathless. They'd made it back to the house and snuck in unnoticed, feigning surprise when Goku and Piccolo arrived later with sullen expressions on their faces they managed to camouflage long enough to pass Chi-Chi's casual inquiry of how the first day of lessons had gone.**

**"Well, well, well. You two little tricksters just earned yourselves the most grueling sparring session ever!" Piccolo stated with a calculating edge to his gruff tone. "No mercy. Right, Goku?"**

**"Uh, sure!" the congenial Saiyan offered cheerily, earning an annoyed grunt from Piccolo.**

**"Dammit, can't you even _try_  to be menacing?!" he snarled and stomped his sneaker-clad foot in exasperation.**

**Sofia and Gohan just laughed at that, while Goku shrugged and joined in on the laughter too.**

**Slapping his hand on his forehead and dragging it down his face, Piccolo grumbled, "These are my allies for the battle that will decide the course of the future. Great…"**

* * *

 

**I think it's an understatement to say how completely AWESOME my current circumstances were, but all right—I'll say it anyway: It's been totally AWESOME being friends and actually training with the one and only muthafucking Son Goku! I can't even do him justice—just the coolest and most amazingly genuine and generous fighter, mentor, and buddy ever! Since he welcomed me to his home and happily let me join his training for the battle against the Androids, Goku has been a friend unlike anyone or anything I could've ever imagined. He wasn't fazed by anything, and took such a child-like interest in getting to know me and understand me, even if he didn't totally grasp the magnitude of the things I recounted. However, this doesn't mean he's dumb. Goku is actually really bright; he just doesn't act or express it in conventional ways. He wasn't a bragger, or self-interested. If anything, he was the most selfless person I'd ever met. We spent many an occasion just talking and reminiscing about all his past adventures, but most of all, he'd always surprise me with some insightful throwaway thought he had about a certain situation or person. Sure, sometimes he could be so dense and daft that it'd exasperate me like nothing else, but there was no way you could stay mad at the guy. He was incapable of being mean or sarcastic, and he was simply not wired to take umbrage to anything. He'd just laugh it off and grin in the most genuinely effervescent way that you'd forget why you'd snapped or glared at him to begin with.**

**Okay, it's totally cliché, but I'll say it: Being friends with Goku was like having an older, caring brother. During the quiet moments when we'd be warming up or winding down from a long day of sparring, I would have to internally pinch myself at the surreal realization that I was in the presence of not only the greatest Super Saiyan ever, but that I was also surrounded and welcomed by his family in friendship. It was an…well, a novel feeling for me to be around such great, nurturing and congenial people who not only encouraged me, but also made me feel like I was equal to them—like I was always part of their circle.**

**I'd never felt such an intrinsic sense of belonging ever. I once told Piccolo as much, and he'd smirked in that sexy way of his and acerbically reminded me that he'd been in the same boat as me –isolated and not welcomed anywhere until Gohan came into his life and showed him that it didn't have to be that way. Still, I sometimes was overcome by the overwhelming contentment I felt. I relished every moment we'd all share. From the sparring, to the silliness that would always ensue after a too long period of seriousness, to the quieter moments of sharing simple experiences with Piccolo and the Son family.**

**The sense of inclusion was something I'd never known I'd yearned for my entire life. Being around Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goku who all merrily included me in their lives made me realize what I'd missed; things I'd taken for granted because I'd never experienced in my realm…with my own family. It was something that I struggled to imagine no longer having or being part of, so often times I shoved those thoughts and worries away.**

**They were caring and warm people free of guile and illusion. Sure, they each had their quirks, but that's what made them the best. From Gohan's irreverent struggle between goofiness and nerdy conviction, to Chi-Chi's intense-yet-silly dominion over the family, to Goku's unending wonder and cheer in the face of anything – the family had become amazing friends to me and made me feel like an honorary member in all ways.**

**And let's not forget the amazingness of my super sexy and devilishly handsome twin star.**

**In quiet moments like these, I often had to check myself when I stared over at him. He was currently meditating under the tree in the yard, the sun's rays caressing his profile in such a way that I just couldn't help fawning internally. Seriously – it was always a struggle for me to fight off ending up with heart-eyes for him whenever I'd stare at him and let my lust and pining run wild. Luckily, I'd gotten plenty of practice in coaching my gaze and glances in ways that wouldn't give us away to the others.**

**Still…I seriously had to wrestle my lust for him and shove it away this particular morning, having gone weeks without being able to get seriously hot and heavy with my delectable stud muffin.**

**"Hey, Sofia! Whatcha thinkin' about?" Gohan suddenly chirped over my shoulder, causing me to face-fault into my butterfly stretch.**

**"Gah! Don't you know it's dangerous to interrupt someone thinking super hard!?" I jokingly groused at him as I got up and dusted myself off. His cheeky little grin was the spitting image of his father's, especially with his hands laced behind his head like that. "I was just thinkin' about the future…" _in bed with Piccolo~!_**

**"Sure you weren't thinking about something more specific? Or maybe some _one_  more specific?" Gohan snickered goofily and started doing kata moves in which he'd keep pointing his gestures towards Piccolo.**

**Narrowing my eyes smugly at him, I huffed and drawled, "You know all this teasing you're doing is only gonna come back ten-fold on you when YOU get a girlfriend, right?"**

**Sweatdropping, Gohan grimaced and stuck his tongue out, "I'll never have a girlfriend, so no worries there, haha!"**

**I was about to grin malevolently at him when a ruckus from the house began to carry over to our spot next to the small stream that skirted the yard before it came outdoors. We'd been waiting for Goku to come out and warm up before heading off to a training site for the day when what I'd been anticipating for a while finally happened.**

**Well—to be more precise, it only took roughly three weeks before Chi-Chi was completely over the daily training regiment that left little time for Gohan to study or spend quality time with her, so when we were all stretching outside in preparation for the energy attack practice-heavy day ahead, she'd bellowed at Goku that we needed to scale back.**

**"Aw, c'mon, Chi-Chi! We have to train—"**

**"I'm not _saying_ to stop training! I'm saying it's ridiculous to spend 7 days a week mindlessly training and stunting Gohan's studies even more," she'd raved before suddenly turning to sniffles as she added, "And I miss spending time with my baby. I don't want 3 years to fly by before you realize how much quality time we've all missed – I want to spend time with my family devoid of all this stupid training and fighting!"**

**'Oh, for crying out loud…' Piccolo had telepathically muttered to me, shooting me a huffy glance as he strode over to Gohan and I.**

**I offered him a shrug, which went unnoticed by Gohan, who was watching his parents' heated discourse. 'Well…she has a point.'**

**'C'mon…don't tell me Stockholm syndrome has set in—'**

**'I'm serious! I know you two don't get along, but shit, let's be real. She's been awfully understanding—dealing with her husband AND son gallivanting across the universe doing battle with crazy-ass villains and the like for the last couple of years. I don't think her request is that unreasonable—'**

**"I AM being reasonable! I just want a day dedicated solely to family time, do you hear me, Goku?!" Chi-Chi had bellowed, causing the guys to wince and cringe.**

**Before Goku opened his mouth and put his foot in it, I phased over between husband and wife so I could referee a bit. "You know, I agree with Chi-Chi."**

**Blinking in shock, Goku looked at me. "You do?"**

**"Yes," I curtly nodded, before continuing, "It'll be good for you guys to spend quality time together. I know training is important, but what's the sake of preparing for this battle if you take what you're going to battle for totally for granted?"**

**Falling silent, Chi-Chi gave a small smile and uncoiled from her demanding posturing.**

**"Dad," Gohan ran up and stood next to Goku as he added, "It'd just be 1 day a week. It would be nice to just relax at home with you and Mom."**

**"Well…" Goku hesitated, but once he looked into Gohan and Chi-Chi's raven eyes, shimmering with expectant love, he relented. "Okay."**

**They all happily cheered, hugging Goku as he laughed cheerily. I smiled and headed back towards Piccolo, who was now leaning against his favorite meditation tree waiting for me.**

**"Hey," Goku called over to us, so I glanced over my shoulder. "What about you guys? You're more than welcome to—"**

**"It's ok, Goku. I got my own training to do," Piccolo interrupted, finishing his gruff assurance by turning and walking away as he added over his shoulder, "I'll be around. We'll pick up training tomorrow morning."**

**Smiling at his back, I turned and walked back over to the others. "I'll just grab my backpack and head out too—"**

**"Oh Sofia, you don't have to go," Chi-Chi began, but I shook my head good-naturedly at her.**

**"No worries. It's cool, you guys. Your family time day will be the perfect opportunity for me to go explore," I replied and smiled, ruffling Gohan's hair. "And besides, I have to come up with my own super secret techniques in order to keep these two on their toes!"**

**"Heeheeheehee, oh man, I'm jealous! I guess it'll give Gohan and I more motivation to not be left behind in our training if you and Piccolo are working on your own battle techniques," Goku offered and slapped me jovially on the back, almost tipping me over.**

**Coughing, I playfully punched him in the shoulder and cackled, "That it better, Kakarot!"**

**Goku started laughing uncontrollably, totally loving whenever I did my Vegeta impression.**

**Once I'd gotten my small backpack and flung it on, I ran back out of the house and offered them a farewell wave before taking to the air and flying a direct course towards a certain delectably sexy Namek. _Finally, we'll be alone and not have to worry about sneaking around~!_ I chirped merrily as I flew, easily pinging onto his location, but confused it wasn't in the direction I expected.**

**"Took you long enough."**

**Staring between the two Nameks once I'd landed in the meadow, I took off my backpack and tossed it down to the short grass before running over.**

**"Nail!" I shouted happily and jumped in the air, tackling the other Namek while Piccolo rolled his eyes and snorted.**

**"Ack! Oh, common now—I wasn't ready!" he rasped in that steely tenor of his, chuckling when I squealed and hugged him. "It's nice to see you too, Sofia."**

**Climbing off of the warrior-class Namek, I hopped over to Piccolo and tossed my arms around his neck.**

**"Ack-woman—!" he began before I smothered his complaint with the kiss I'd been dying to plant on his lips for what felt like ages.**

**Kissing me back, he pulled me against his frame and encircled my waist, anchoring me to him as I stood on my tippy toes and hummed into the deepening kiss.**

**"Awww, I do enjoy seeing love prevail," Nail mused in a fawning tone. Blushing, Piccolo ended the kiss and sweatdropped, glaring at his counterpart. I giggled and kissed his jaw as Nail continued, "I did tell Piccolo you'd probably want some alone time, but of course you know how he is."**

**"Shut it, Nail. We've got 2 hours to spar, so let's get started," the terse Namek mused as he let go of Sofia and smirked. "I personally think he's too rusty to actually give us any real trouble, but seeing as I still owe him that monumental ass whooping…" he trailed off his bravado-laced drawl when Nail scoffed knowingly.**

**"You wish, Piccolo. Now if you're through sweet talking us, let's get started," Nail challenged, that affable glint in his eyes remained as he stood and took his stance across from Piccolo and I.**

**Rolling my eyes, I loped over to take my own stance while Piccolo took his. "Nameks and their constant need to roughhouse…" I muttered to myself as I stretched and fell into position, glancing to Piccolo on my left and Nail at my right. "Winner gets a kiss on the cheek from the losers!"**

**Sweatdropping and face-faulting to the ground, the two Nameks groaned in bewilderment. "No!"**

**"Awww, c'mon!" I giggled and grinned. "Just let me win then if you're both too macho to give each other a smooch on the cheek."**

**"I'd rather do Goku's laundry than kiss Piccolo!" Nail shouted in protest, earning a disgusted grunt from the other Namek.**

**"I'll rip my own ears off before kissing Nail, or anyone else for that matter, you little perv!" Piccolo barked, now grumpily fuming while Nail shook his head and huffed.**

**"So you wouldn't want to kiss me no more?" I faux sniffled and made my eyes all big and glossy.**

**Relenting in his attitude, Nail blinked at me comically before nervously laughing at Piccolo, who threw his head back and exhaled in an exaggerated huff.**

**"You know what I mean, dammit. Now get your mind in the game already!" he grumbled at me. When I just pouted deeper, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms moodily. "I only want and will ever kiss you, you unbelievably one-track-minded hentai…"**

**Phasing quickly in front of him, I poked him playfully in the chest as I purred, "Damn straight, you sexy and scrumptious-lipped pain," before giving him a peck on the lips. "Now…let's get nuts!" I said before expertly hopping and flipping in the air until I was back in my spot. "Show me what you got, fellas!"**

**Glancing sidelong at each other, Piccolo and Nail nodded, as if silently agreeing on a game plan before locking in and blasting off straight towards me.**

**"You asked for it!" they both shouted at the same time.**

**_Mmmm…threeway time~!_ **

* * *

 

**"Ahh, just a little lower…oh no, right there…ahhh, that's perfect. Don't stop…"**

**"You're so tense. Perhaps we overdid it?"**

**"Hmmm? Oh no, not at all…I'm…tense cuz of…other reasons."**

**Nail paused in his shoulder massage to ponder, the quizzical look on his face remaining as he mused, "Oh, you mean lack of sexual gratification?"**

**Flinching and balking at the Namek, Sofia blushed furiously. "Nail!"**

**"What? It's not like I don't know you two 'get busy,' you know," he laughed good-heartedly until Sofia's blush deepened.**

**"Watch it, buster. Keep teasing me, and I'll pounce on you and get rid of some of this tension," she mused and turned the tables, leaving Nail to now look mortified.**

**"Oh come now. You don't want me, Sofia-chan. I don't even know how to kiss—"**

**"Nonsense! You just put your lips together, lean in, and let the smooching commence," Sofia giggled before playfully tossing herself backwards to lay on the ground as she pantomimed kissing an invisible love interest.**

**Nail burst into hearty laughter, falling backwards and laughing until Sofia snickered and joined in.**

**They'd spent most of the previous hour or so rigorously sparring – her, Piccolo and Nail – until they took a break to nurse some wounds and take a breather. While she sipped some water, Piccolo and Nail took up some simple hand-to-hand combat. All the challenging and arguing aside, they both seemed to enjoy the camaraderie they shared as the only two Namekian warriors – sharing different sparring techniques and even chatting in their native language after a short beat.**

**Sofia enjoyed seeing them unwind, and was more than happy to hang back and relax her tense muscles while watching the two handsome warriors do their thing. After a few minutes of them chatting while they grappled, they suddenly glanced over at her before resuming their conversation in a hushed tone. Just as Sofia was about to ask what was up, Nail nodded to Piccolo and came over to her, asking if she'd like to spar one-on-one. Smiling, she hopped up and said sure, rushing over to a not so beaten and battered spot in the large meadow to do some friendly sparring while Piccolo shouted over his shoulder that he'd be right back. Once Sofia asked for a time out to tie her shoe, she glanced around and realized Piccolo hadn't come back yet, but just before she could reach out with her mind to hone in on his energy signature, Nail pulled her over to lounge in the shade of a large tree and engaged her in idle chat. He even offered to massage her shoulders when she kept stretching and trying to pop the tension out of her aching back muscles.**

**Sighing as she stopped laughing, Sofia lay back next to Nail and stared up into the canopy of leaves overhead.**

**"I don't ever want this to end."**

**Glancing over at her, Nail snickered, "What, the sexual tension?"**

**"No!" she playfully swatted his arm, sitting up on her elbow. "I don't want to go back…"**

**Nail's expression sobered, taking on the stoic quality that he wore most of the time back when he'd been under the tutelage of Guru-sama. After a pause, Nail brought his hands up and laced his long fingers together before putting them behind his head. When she glanced self-consciously away, the bare-chested Namek stared at her thoughtfully.**

**"Then, don't."**

**Startled, she looked back at him, her red eyes dazzling under the shade.**

**Stretching out, Nail smiled up at her. "If you don't want to go back, you shouldn't. It might be the dimension you were born in, but clearly, it isn't the dimension you belong in. It's your choice," he mused sagaciously, but added sweetly, "Plus, I wouldn't want you to leave. I cherish our friendship. And, Kami knows, Piccolo would be a wreck."**

**Pulling her knees up, Sofia buried her face against them, using the jean fabric to whisk away some tears that escaped her eyes of their own accord before grunting with humor and smiling. "Thanks, Nail."**

**Sitting up, he smiled at her and shook her shoulder platonically. "Don't mention it."**

**She pulled him in for a hug then, and he exhaled, glad he sensed her grow at ease once more.**

**"Am I interrupting something?"**

**Glancing towards the source of the baritone voice, they looked goofily up at Piccolo, who was staring down at them with a raised brow ridge.**

**"Not at all. Nail was just trying to convince me to run away with him," Sofia dramatically sighed and batted her lashes at the other Namek.**

**Snorting, Nail played along. " Indeed. I was telling her of the romantic life we could have, filled with passion and unbridled desire—"**

**"Is that a fact," Piccolo cut in sarcastically.**

**Both nodding vigorously, they went back to hugging each other and exaggeratedly sighed fawningly.**

**"You both know that crap's annoying…" Piccolo grumbled, narrowing his eyes when Nail burst into laughter and Sofia giggled at his expense. "Anyway, it's almost time."**

**Frowning, Sofia let Nail help her stand. "Well, it was nice to be out and doing some sparring. Thanks for humoring me, you two," Nail remarked, smiling as he squeezed Sofia's shoulder affectionately before going to stand next to Piccolo.**

**"Bye," she quickly leaned in and gave the affable Namek a peck on the cheek. "And thanks for the advice."**

**Nodding, Nail began to glow along with Piccolo, and offered a casual wave before the glow flashed brightly and died down to reveal only one Namek standing before her now.**

**Closing the short distance between them, Sofia went over and hugged Piccolo. "You know I only have eyes for you, right?" she sighed affectionately against his chest.**

**Returning her hug, Piccolo buried his nose in the top of her hair, inhaling her scent as he closed his eyes and grunted in confirmation.**

**"And just where have you been this whole time?" she inquired and pulled back to look up skeptically at him. "Poor Nail had to work hard to keep me from wondering for too long. He even gave me a nice massage—"**

**"He did, did he?" Piccolo tried not to sound too jealous, but failed.**

**"Mmhmmmm," she drawled playfully, adding, "It was only a shoulder rub. Now, where have you been, hmm?"**

**Giving her a lopsided smirk, he gestured for her to follow him. "Come, I'll show you."**

**Blinking at him, she ran over and grabbed her backpack before rushing over to follow his lead. Taking flight, Piccolo flew northeast, ascending past clouds to glide across the beautiful blue sky. Staring at the glorious horizon with wonder, Sofia smiled and glanced over at Piccolo, who was smiling at her.**

**'It's not very far, but figured it'd be nice to see things from up here,' he murmured to her over their rapport, gliding over to fly closer to her.**

**'I adore it. It's so peaceful and lovely,' she mused, resisting her urge to reach for his hand and instead following his lead as they went through a fluffy cloud and barreled out the other side.**

**'This way,' he told her when the clouds fluttered by and revealed a sparsely vegetated wilderness spread across the landscape beneath them, filled with tall plateaus and bluffs that careened down to long swaths of desert.**

**Following along, she descended until they were now zipping along the sky above the wild and desolate landscape – a scenic area she found to be somewhat familiar. As Piccolo flew towards a cluster of plateaus on the more lush side of the wilderness, Sofia followed and watched as dinosaurs and predators stomped in packs in the far off distance. _Oh wait. This is where Gohan and Piccolo trained before the Saiyans._**

**Descending over some jungle-like vegetation, Piccolo finally slowed and began to levitate down towards a large and tall plateau with a smooth flattened top. He hovered down towards a side of the rock face before spotting what he was looking for. Landing on the lip of the rock that jutted out, Piccolo waited for Sofia to descend and hover next to him. Offering her his hand, he guided her to a flatter spot on the jutting ledge before leading her along the side of the rock until they came to the hidden entrance of a cave not easily seen from the ground or high up in the air.**

**"Whoa…" Sofia mused with wonder as her preternatural red eyes stared into the seemingly dark cave, and realized it went deeper than it looked.**

**"Go in. I just need to take these off," Piccolo instructed as he took his turban off and tossed it over to a mossy patch just on the side of the cave's entrance before pulling off his wide shoulder pads and cape. When she glanced quizzically at him, he responded, "It's too narrow in there for me to move around with this stuff on."**

**"Oh," she said, still curious as to why he'd taken her to this spot.**

**Taking her hand, he led her into the cave, which had smooth rock surfaces that allowed for some light to filter in from the outside, however its ceiling was barely tall enough to accommodate Piccolo's imposing height; he could stand and still have about a foot between the top of his head and the ceiling, at least.**

**When Sofia walked ahead of him, she came upon a large and wide alcove that was the center of the cave, and stared about in awe. Along the backside of the alcove was a full bedroll with sheets and thermal blanket folded on it. In the center of the alcove there was a small little fire pit with kindling stacked neatly beside it and already arranged in the middle, a couple of sitting pillows, a jug of water with a matching basin and some other fireside camping gear.**

**Going towards the fire pit, Piccolo flicked a small spark of ki that instantly ignited the dry kindling in the middle, helping to better illuminate the cave.**

**"Piccolo…what is this?" Sofia asked, her voice echoing slightly. She was staring at him in wonder after she glanced about at the fire-illuminated space.**

**"It's where you can stay…where we can stay when it's just us," he murmured, his voice echoing as he watched her for her reaction.**

**Blinking at him in surprise, she glanced about again; slowly realizing the supplies were from the kit Bulma had given her. Taking off her backpack, she reached in and found the capsule case missing. When she looked back at the side of the bedroll, she saw the very case placed by it for safekeeping.**

**"You don't like it," Piccolo said, his expression revealing disappointment when her features hadn't changed from the shocked wonder she'd had since entering. Glancing back at him, her eyes were blazing like shimmering rubies at him from the firelight. They distracted him from seeing her loving smile slowly creep across her full lips. "Forget it. We can find somewhere else…" he grumbled and dropped down to sit moodily by the fire on one of the sitting pillows, his tone holding a perturbed edge as it echoed in the cave.**

**Going to sit on the other pillow across from him, Sofia stared at him over the fire, her heart doing summersaults in her chest as she watched him use one of the longer sticks to poke at the embers in the pit, his eyes shining like polished onyx from the flames as he distractedly scowled in thought.**

**That feeling of supreme love swelling inside of her again, she watched him until her mind's eye projected to her a memory of the small little hatchling he'd been, sitting in front of a fire and poking at it to keep it from dying out so he could stay warm. Suddenly overcome, Sofia wrung her hands together and breathed softly, "This is where you stayed when you were little!"**

**Blinking bemusedly, Piccolo glanced up at her, his expression unreadable as he tilted his head to the side, curiously. "How do you know that?" he murmured, his tone like velvet as it echoed. When he stared into her eyes, he saw her unconditional love blaze in those crimson spheres, her expression softening. Since leaving the chamber, he'd noticed how her red eyes would flare with a preternatural glow at times, either when she was furious or profoundly intrigued. He'd assumed the stark white of the time chamber obscured the peculiar trait, since the brilliant atmosphere even obscured the casting of shadows. Seeing those eyes glow at him now warmed his blood.**

**"I saw some of your memories. Back in the time chamber," she spoke serenely, watching as he tensed and gazed at her. "When you were just a little kid. You were all alone, fending for yourself…" she mused, her eyes growing glossy as they welled with unshed tears.**

**Feeling self-conscious, Piccolo looked away, hating to see that tumult of emotion shine in her eyes. A flurry of emotions she was feeling because of him…for him.**

**"It's no big deal. I hardly remember any of it. In any case, it made me stronger," he mused, his tone faraway as he stared back down into the fire. "I'm not the only one. You had to go through stuff too—"**

**He glanced up as she crawled over to be near him, her eyes gleaming alluring at him as she leaned close and stared into his surprised yet handsome features. When she caressed his cheek lovingly with her fingers, Piccolo stiffened, but didn't pull away. Instead, he found himself leaning into the hug she gave him before he even realized what was happening.**

**Pulling back, he stared into her beautiful features, cupping her cheek after brushing her hair behind her ear.**

**She breathed him in, feeling lured further by his rugged scent and tender-looking lips. Leaning in close, she stared into his onyx eyes.**

**"We're both strong, sure, but it doesn't change that I wish I could've hugged you back then and told you how much I love you. So…I'm doing it now," Sofia whispered at first, but definitively murmured the rest as she smiled, her guard completely down as she caressed his cheek and kissed him softly on his jaw before staring sultrily at him through her lashes.**

**Instead of gulping or blushing, or even diverting his gaze self-consciously, Piccolo's onyx stare changed. His guard melted away, showing open and serene wonder as her words stirred something overwhelmingly freeing to flutter within his heart as it beat against his ribcage.**

**_I love her too._ **

**Overcome with the realization, Piccolo pulled her close and kissed her, earning a soft mewl and gasp of relief to escape her lips before kissing him with gusto back. Clinging to his muscular shoulders, Sofia deepened the kiss, pressing against him as he pulled her onto his lap and caressed her body with his strong, eager hands. When said hands began to slip up the back of her shirt, Sofia sighed wistfully and dragged her palms down his clothed chest, breaking the kiss to stare hungrily in his eyes.**

**The hunger that shone back at her sent an excited flutter down to her womb. "Piccolo…" she breathed as he began trailing kisses down her throat before tangling a hand in the back of her thick dark hair while the other cupped the small of her back. Arching, she gasped sultrily when he suckled on the delicate spot of her neck and sighed when she felt his arousal press firmly against her through the confines of their clothes.**

**Her sweet and feminine scent was intoxicating him, stirring a primal need inside him to claim her as his. It was a yearning that emboldened him to cause delicious havoc on her voluptuous curves. Nuzzling her neck before tilting her head to the side so he could devour her with a passionate kiss, Piccolo could feel her soft skin grow warm with excitement – her nipples now taut even under the durable fabric of her sport bra through her shirt. Growling, he tightened his grip around her waist when she kissed her way along his jaw to nibble on his earlobe before suckling as she ground her hips down on his lap.**

**Getting up from the side of the fire to lead her over to the bedroll, Piccolo was about to pull her down so they could get entangled on the soft surface, but he was stopped when her hands gripped the sides of his gi shirt and tugged them free from the sash. Hands falling away to relinquish control, he let her pull his shirt up his torso and off of his head before watching her untie his blue sash and unravel it from his waist.**

**Sofia leaned forward and kissed his emerald chest, admiring the myriad of textures his warm and thick flesh had under her touch and lips. Fingertips gliding down his defined washboard abs, she felt his muscles tense in excitement as her fingers pulled on the waistband of his gi trousers.**

**Exhaling in mounting anticipation, Piccolo impatiently took her in his arms and began undressing her, pulling her shirt off and kissing her exposed shoulder and clavicle when her breath hitched in excitement and her hands gripped his arms.**

**After they hurriedly kicked their shoes off, Piccolo kneeled as he unfastened her tight jeans and began to pull them off of her hips, slowly baring her tight navel and supple legs to his hungry stare before he kissed his way back up her body.**

**Sofia's knees shook and threatened to buckle under her mounting excitement, but when he stood over her and began pulling her bra straps down her shoulders, she managed to keep her wits about her as she reached behind herself and unbuckled the intrusive garment and let it fall away while she stared up alluringly at him.**

**His hands began to caress her lovingly while he kissed her temple, groaning at the feeling of her gripping his back as she arched against him. It wasn't long until said hands had possessively caressed down her curves to pull the final intrusive garment off of her body, freeing her supple skin to the firelight and his heavy-lidded eyes. Standing in all her illuminated glory, Sofia looked otherworldly to him as the firelight caused her usually tanned skin to almost glow.**

**Taking his punch-drunk expression to her advantage, Sofia smiled up at him as she kissed him and pulled the last barrier between them off of his hips to pool at the ground. Her hands skimmed his hard muscles admiringly as she gazed up into his eyes with glimmering desire shining in hers. Piccolo wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his strong nude form before claiming her lips in a tantalizing kiss that caused her to swoon and wrap her arms around his neck.**

**His antennae vacillated slightly when he lay on the edge of the bedroll and crawled backwards as he guided her down to loom above him, her hands caressing up his textured torso as she kissed her way up from his stomach to his chest before she smiled provocatively at him. Pulling her against him, Piccolo kissed a ravenous path from her collarbones to her breasts before pursing his warm mouth over one of her taut nipples and humming around the delicate flesh. Gasping, Sofia blushed softly before groaning when he tilted her sideways, leaned over, and kissed her as he pulled her against him. She kicked the folded blankets out of their way as they began to stretch out and entice each other, hands skimming along their bodies while their mouths kissed, suckled and caressed each other into groaning, gasping or murmuring sighs of passion.**

**Stroking his engorged manhood in her hand, Sofia kissed the side of his throat when he bit back his moan of pleasure. Not satisfied with his attempt to keep his reactions muted, she pressed her thumb over his sensitive tip once she stroked the straining appendage and timed it with the hard suckling of his erogenous spot on the side of his neck, just below his ear. Earning a hoarse gasp and a tremor to course through his frame, Sofia quickly found herself being rolled so Piccolo could cause havoc on her hypersensitive nerve endings in sensual retaliation, slipping his hand between her thighs so his expert and deft fingers could tease her soft and warm sex, curve of his palm pressing firmly against her clitoris as he kissed her ravenously. When her hands gripped him as she arched and cried out with pleasure, Piccolo watched her expression light up as a delicate blush heated her cheekbones.**

**Continuing his foreplay, Piccolo rubbed her warm and dampening womanhood until she arched into him and mewled, "Oh god!"**

**It drove him wild when she did that, but even though his need was throbbing wantonly to be inside her, he kept teasing her, wanting to watch her come undone with a hearty cry of ecstasy. However, growing desperate in her need for him, Sofia rolled them until she was straddling him, causing Piccolo to groan and grip her hips as she began to grind down on him in slow, delectably circular motions.**

**He possessively clutched her backside when she rolled her hips in such a way that it caused his manhood to press flush with her tight entrance, the sensation so exquisite it caused him to arch his back and curse under his breath.**

**"Fuck…" he growled sensually, panting as he caressed her torso while teasingly bucking his hips up and causing her to gasp and stare hungrily down at him. Her eyes were hooded and glowing crimson with desire for him as she hummed in pleasure and gripped his sculpted pectorals before leaning down to meet him for a hungry kiss. Their tongues twirled and caressed as he bucked his hips under her, beginning to enter her tight sheath and tease her hypersensitive flesh. When she arched above him with a pleased sigh, Piccolo gripped her thighs and watched her undulate her hips, grinding his throbbing manhood wantonly against her warm and tight core.**

**Unable to take it anymore, Piccolo rolled so he could be on top when he thrust deep inside her. Sofia cried out with relieved pleasure, gripping his shoulders as he began to make love to her with passionate and powerful strokes that drove him deeper into her trembling sheath. He kissed her skin, watching her arch and moan more and more as he quickened his pace, cock throbbing for release as her body contracted around him from her undulating pleasure. Rolling onto their sides, Piccolo gripped her waist and guided her bucking hips up and down his shaft, forcing her to cry out and cling to him as he pounded his thrusts in that angle he knew drove her wild. Whimpering, Sofia clutched at him when he pressed himself fully inside of her and stayed flush against her before he nudged her for a kiss.**

**Licking his lips first, she kissed him slow and hungrily, groaning when he rolled them yet again so he could loom over her and smile debonairly down at her. She could feel herself buzz with elation when he looked at her like that, especially when he began to roll his hips in a way that drove his thick throbbing sex to press deep inside of her before bucking his next thrust upwards. Arching against him, Sofia moaned and dug her fingers into his back, wrapping her long legs around his waist as he began to thrust in and out of her with expert abandon, groaning against her neck as he quickened his pace. When his next thrust pushed his manhood deep enough to hit that tender bundle of nerves nestled inside of her, Sofia cried out his name and whimpered before she grew taught and clung to him as she climaxed.**

**Prolonging her ecstasy, Piccolo kept thrusting his powerful strokes in and out of her trembling and tightening core until he gripped her thigh and groaned as his climax barreled through him full force, leaving him with his pulse rushing and body trembling minutely over hers. Panting, he pressed fully inside of her and felt the bliss of completion when her warm and curvaceous body relaxed under him and pulled him closer. He encircled his arms around her and held her as she lovingly caressed his back and affectionately nuzzled his cheek. Slowly recovering from the mind-blowing session of lovemaking, Piccolo leaned back so he could gaze at her with his arms resting on either side of her head, making sure not to pin her tussled hair as he leaned back down to kiss her passionately then.**

**As they lay in sensual repose for a quiet moment – only the fire's crackling filling the cave along with the soft echoing of their breathing – Sofia closed her eyes and smiled as she languidly stroked her lethal-yet-gentle fingers along his side, completely lost in the peace she felt being with him like this.**

**"You know I do too, right?"**

**Her eyes fluttering softly, Sofia stared up at him, her expression showing confusion but also glowing with sated desire for him. "What?"**

**Caressing her cheek with the backs of his knuckles, Piccolo exhaled, "What you said earlier…you know I feel the same…don't you?"**

**Smiling knowingly up at him, Sofia softly mused, "Oh, I'm not sure. Can you be more specific?"**

**Giving her a long huff through his nose, Piccolo raised a skeptical brow ridge at her. "You know I do."**

**"I do, but…it'd be nice to hear it, too…" she trailed off affectionately as she languidly traced her fingers along his arm, shrugging. "But if you're too macho—"**

**"I love you, ok?"**

**Blinking, Sofia stared up at him, dumbfounded and in awe. Regardless of the somewhat begrudging edge of his tone, she saw how his eyes softened as he'd said it, and her heart melted all over again. Smiling dazzlingly up at him, she caressed his cheek and felt pride swell in her when he leaned into her touch unselfconsciously.**

**Curling lovingly against him after he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, Sofia practically beamed from the inside out, stars in her eyes as he pulled the discarded blanket over them and circled her waist with one arm while the other propped behind his pillow so he could stretch out and relax.**

**Leaning up to kiss him, Sofia pressed her forehead lovingly against his as she murmured softly, "I love you too."**

**"I know."**

**Snickering at that, she gave him another peck on the lips before settling back down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder as she cuddled against his side.**

**Lulled by the beating of their hearts falling into synchronization as they slowly relaxed, the twin stars fell asleep in each other's arms as the fire continued to crackle before it too dimmed and went into slumber.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! That was a long and very satisfying chapter to finally have out of my head and for you guys to read. Hopefully my fellow Piccolo fangirls out there appreciated it!  
> -ROGUEFURY


	22. Repressed Discoveries

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_**

**He didn't really pick up on the sounds coming from the kitchen at first, but once the delectable smells started wafting down the hallway and into the bedroom, his mouth watered and his stomach growled, petitioning for him to get up and go investigate the source of the delicious smells.**

**Sleepily loping down the hallway like a food-zombie, Goku dully noticed Gohan as the young boy followed suit as well and trotted in his pajamas out of his room to fall in line with his father.**

**"Man, something smells amazing~," the Saiyan sighed wistfully as he rubbed his eyes and stared into the kitchen. "Oh wow!"**

**Spread out on the kitchen table were plates and plates of breakfast food, almost every kind of breakfast food he'd ever seen in his life – just sitting there waiting to be eaten. Staring in awe, they glanced over at Sofia, who was zipping around the kitchen preparing even more food – checking the oven, the waffle maker, the coffee pot, buttering some toast, pouring orange juice into a glass pitcher, and back at the stove to flip some pancakes before stacking everything seamlessly on different plates before turning and arranging them on the table and any spare surface of countertop.**

**Looking at the two ravenously drooling Saiyans, Sofia smiled. "Morning! Hope you guys are hungry," she winked, and quickly jumped out of the way when they ran to the table, sat, and began to attack the bounty of food.**

**"Oh my, what's going on," Chi-Chi yawned as she entered the kitchen before gasping at the sight. "Sofia, you cooked all this?!"**

**Grinning, she went over to the other woman and offered her a filled plate of food she'd separated for her. "Uh-huh! Figured I'd treat ya'll to breakfast. How was family day yesterday?"**

**Staring gratefully at the plate of food, Chi-Chi smiled, "It was great. But you didn't have to go through all this trouble—"**

**"Pffft, no trouble at all! And don't worry," she cut in, walking to the fridge and showing her it was stocked to the brim with food. "I went ahead and stocked the pantry too with the rations Bulma had stored in her supply capsules. Can you believe that woman had all this stuff? I mean, I thought they were just rations, and it's a freaking bonanza of stuff!" She went and pointed at the different appliances that now sat in certain spots on the kitchen counter. "A waffle maker, coffee machine, toaster oven—a freaking blender?! That crazy woman thinks these are the bare essentials! No way I'll ever use these or go through all that food, so figured you guys could, easily," Sofia mused with a simple shrug.**

**"That's awfully nice of you, Sofia!" Goku offered over a mouthful of syrupy pancakes before gulping down a glass of orange juice and grabbing some bacon. "Thanks!" he offered cheerily while Gohan nodded vigorously with his mouth filled with waffles.**

**Rushing to grab her in a bear hug, Chi-Chi squeezed Sofia eagerly as she bawled, "Oh you're the most considerate houseguest I've ever had! We're so lucky to have such a selfless and giving and wonderful friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you~!" the woman wailed happily as she swung Sofia around comically.**

**"Ah, c'mon – it's nothing! There's plenty more of where that came from too, so no worries. Now you guys finish eating, because you'll need it," Sofia offered genuinely and hugged the woman back.**

**"You're not hungry, Sofia?" Gohan piped up as she retrieved a glass of water and walked over to the living room window, where she floated the glass out to Piccolo, who was sitting under the leafy tree out in the yard.**

**"Nah, I ate as I cooked," she replied and gave them a wave as she hopped out the window. "Take your time, you guys."**

**Piccolo was finishing off the water by the time she made it to the tree. 'You're in a good mood,' he mused knowingly, handing her the glass back.**

**'Am I? Wonder why?' she teased before adding in a sing-song, 'Oh, maybe it's cuz of the most romantic night I had with this amazingly chivalrous hunk and great lay who also rocked my world this morning, and then had his way with me again in a super secluded and steamy hot spring—'**

**'Rein it in, woman,' he huffed gruffly, but snickered when she batted her lashes at him coquettishly. 'That'll teach you to doubt my ability to make good on our alone time,' he retorted in that gravelly baritone that made her weak in the knees.**

**'Mmm, keep talking like that, and I'll have to drag you somewhere not-so-secluded so you can teach me some more,' she purred before sexily strutting away back to the house to return the glass, but not before blowing him a kiss over her shoulder, then opened the door and walked in.**

**Grunting at that, Piccolo fought the sly smirk that wanted to quirk his lips as he went back to meditating.**

**"Whoa! You guys are no joke!" Sofia gawked when she walked in and found that father and son were currently polishing off the last of the food while Chi-Chi ate daintily. "I wasn't even gone for 5 minutes!"**

**"Are you kidding? This is them pacing themselves," the woman offered ruefully as she glared at the towering dirty dishes that now sat in the middle of the table.**

**"Oh no, you keep eating. I'll have everything clean just as quick as these bottomless pits ate," Sofia playfully admonished and to her word, zipped around the kitchen at high speed, flashing in and around the family as she simultaneously rinsed plates, scrubbed pots, wiped the counter, put the egg cartons away, righted the dish rag, and polished the serving spoon before using her telekinesis to put all the dried cutlery away in the drawers.**

**Balking in wonder at the sight, the Son family exclaimed in awe as the cupboards closed and Sofia dusted her hands off, not a hair out of place or a sweat broken.**

**Looking over at Goku, Chi-Chi declared, "She's never leaving – she can stay forever and ever!"**

**They all laughed at that, setting the tone for the start of a great day.**

* * *

 

**"C'mon you guys, tell me how you did it?"**

**"We swear – all we did was train really hard. It just came naturally. Honest!"**

**"But I've trained just as hard and still – look!"**

**Sofia lifted her Capsule Corp. logoed lavender sweatshirt and showed off her lithe and flat stomach to the two Saiyans, who just blinked and hummed in thought.**

**"Gee, I don't know – everyone I know who's ever trained always ended up getting 'ripped abs,' like you call them. It's a head scratcher," Goku hummed and scratched his head, while Gohan just shrugged.**

**"Well, you have a different physiology than us and you're technically not human anymore, so maybe it's just your natural musculature?" Gohan offered very intellectually for an 8-year-old going on 9.**

**Pouting, Sofia pulled her sweatshirt to slip back down and stomped her weighted boot-clad foot. "I want killer ripped abs like the rest of you. It's no fair!" she goofily whined before sighing and tossing herself down to lie on the soft grass next to the lounging Saiyans as they finished their pre-dinner snacks.**

**"Are you seriously still carrying on about that?!" Piccolo snapped from his levitating meditative pose, having tuned out the asinine conversation minutes ago.**

**"Yeah! Don't get me wrong. I loved your brutally harsh and rigorous training regiment, but why didn't I get ripped abs?" she sarcastically goofed, earning a glare from Piccolo. Flipping up onto her feet, Sofia did a silly spin before posing like a model at the end of a catwalk as she mused, "I mean, thanks to the Piccolo 'beat the shit out of you and then blast energy attacks at you' workout, I lost all fat content and learned how to dodge well. Now I'm svelte, and can dance with confidence," and began dancing unselfconsciously, earning hearty laughs from Goku and giggles from Gohan when she grabbed his hand and pulled him into dancing a silly two-step with her.**

**"Well, if we ever needed someone to dance like an idiot to distract those Androids in battle, I know who to call," Piccolo drawled sarcastically, huffing through his nose when Sofia started to sway her hips in a way that was practiced and sultry.**

**"It's all in the hips, it's all in the hips, Gohan~," she sing-sung as she kept dancing, cajoling the rhythm-less boy to try and copy her swaying.**

**"Heeheeheehee, not bad," Goku cheerily complimented before flipping up onto his hands to do some upside down pushups. "Gohan, how about you and Piccolo finish up the day with the last spar," the spiky-haired hero offered, not missing a beat in his pushups while glancing at his son and smiling.**

**"Ok! You up for it, Piccolo?" Gohan beamed over at his imposing mentor and friend, who landed from his levitated pose and smirked over at the boy.**

**"Sure, kid."**

**Sofia sat back down on the soft mossy grass and watched as her little friend and lover flew towards the flat area they'd been using for their sparring sessions that day. Smiling, she let her mind wander over the absolutely glorious 24 hours she'd had. After Piccolo and she had woken up in each other's arms, it wasn't long before they entangled amorously all over again, hungrily kissing and touching until they riled each other into passionate lovemaking. The days of a sexually uninitiated Piccolo were over, and boy did she ever love reminiscing on his fantastic progress when it came to training…in bed. He'd been so attentive and eager to learn just what turned her on, and how to turn her on. She remembered the first time he'd pressed up against her from behind and how desperately impatient she'd been for him to take and dominate her, arching against him and telling him how she wanted him inside of her _now_. Grabbing her hips, he'd obliged, but since they were new to the position, he pressed his thick and engorged sex against her and Sofia had instantly yelped before squealing skittishly, "Not there!" Snickering internally, Sofia let her mind wander further to the time she'd been trying foreplay on him, touching and kissing him in certain spots and seeing if it'd drive him wild with desire – wanting to learn just where and how to tease him to get him ravenously aroused. Having pushed him down on the bed so she could straddle him, Sofia trailed butterfly kisses along his jaw and cheek while he watched her with hooded eyes and growled in a velvety tone that there was nothing she hadn't done already that turned him on more or less than one kind of touch over any certain kiss. Eyes glowing mischievously from the challenge, she'd leaned up and lightly licked one of his quivering antennae before suckling the delicate appendage into her mouth and moaning around it; bulbous tip caressed by her tongue lovingly. Next thing she knew, Piccolo pounced on her and had her crying out in ecstasy from his wanton and ravenous thrusts as he moaned unabashedly. She definitely learned not to start anything with those delectable appendages unless she was prepared to be ravished for hours.**

**"You let your mind wander a lot too, huh!"**

**Snapping out of her raunchy recollections, Sofia nervously laughed as she blushed furiously. "Hahaha, yeah I do, though you'd think after training with Piccolo I would've broken the habit, heheheh," she chuckled goofily and fanned herself.**

**Rolling out of his upside down pushups to sit next to her in the soft grass, Goku platonically nudged her shoulder. "Oh c'mon, daydreaming isn't a bad habit! It helps you think, uh, better," the amiable Saiyan mused, scratching his chin as he continued, "You can't be serious ALL the time. I mean, sure, you can't always let your brain go off tangent and stuff, but I've gotten some of my best ideas when I let my mind wander a little."**

**Smiling, Sofia nudged his shoulder back with her own as she retorted, "That's a great point of view. Thanks, Goku."**

**"Don't mention it…can I ask you something personal, Sofia?"**

**Blinking over at him, she realized how out of the ordinary that was. Goku would usually just ask a question, too dense to care if the question was too personal, impolite or silly. Glancing up at the Saiyan's eyes, she couldn't help smile. "Sure. Ask away."**

**"Well…Gohan explained a lot to me – about where you're from and how you ended up being here. I sort of got most of it; the whole being a demon lady in your past life and how you can hop back and forth between our dimension and yours and stuff…but I was wondering if you're gonna stay here permanently?"**

**Absorbing his question, Sofia glanced back at the sparring match happening across from them in the clearing. "I want to," she began thoughtfully. "There's a lot of convoluted things that've happened, but things are different from like," she paused to whisper, "like Trunks's situation. I was born in my dimension, sure, but technically…I've never really felt like I belonged there. I don't really miss it at all, actually. But I don't know if it's the right thing to stay here, or if I'm supposed to go back. I don't really have anything real to go back to…at least it doesn't feel real after everything I've found out and learned about myself here. Sorry, I guess that's a long way to say I don't know," she smiled sadly at the fighter, who seemed to absorb her words musingly.**

**"Well, I sort of understand how you feel," the wide-eyed fighter mused, leaning back on his hands as he offered her a reassuring smile.**

**"You do?" she asked, curious about what he meant.**

**"Sure! Technically, I'm not from Earth. I came here when I was just a baby, and was supposed to do bad things in the name of my home planet. I was born on the Saiyan home world, but…I'm not from there, you know?" Goku explained. "I've always felt like I belong here. I grew up here, and met all of my friends, started my family here. Planet Vegeta is just where I was born, but it isn't where I became the person I am," he mused, glancing at Sofia when she hummed in understanding.**

**"So…if planet Vegeta hadn't been destroyed, and you could go there, would you?" she inquired curiously, leaning sideways when Goku pondered and crossed his legs to lean on his elbows.**

**"Hummm, gee…" he mused out loud, racking his brain. He crossed his arms, brows furrowing in thought for a moment before he resolutely looked up and chirped, "Nope! I don't think I would care to."**

**Balking, Sofia exclaimed, "Really? Why?"**

**"Because I don't belong there; at least not anymore. From the moment I bumped my head as a baby, I lost everything that tied me to there. I became a different and better person being from here. There's really nothing for me to go back to even if the planet was still around," he reasoned, scratching his chin as he added, "so, it sounds like it's the same for you, which means you should stay too!"**

**Staring at him, Sofia couldn't help the rueful smile quirk her lips as she mused, "It's that simple, you think?"**

**"Uh-huh! I mean, you also changed a lot, literally, since being here, right? Would it even be possible to go back with all the powers and changes you've made? Man, I think if I went to my home world as a Super Saiyan, everyone would lose their minds, and not in a good way…" Goku ruminated before chuckling affably as he added, "But hey, I guess I also think this way because I think it'd be great to have another friend who's a great fighter and an even better person stick around for the long term, so I might just be thinking selfishly."**

**Deeply touched by the good-hearted Saiyan's words, Sofia pulled her knees up to her chest and smiled, her eyes cresting as she exclaimed, "You? Selfish? Now I know you're just being silly—"**

**"Nope. Honest! You might feel like you have to go back, but it sounds to me like that's mostly because you think you're obligated to. Whenever I'm stuck on deciding what course to take, I just follow my heart. It'll never steer you wrong," Goku responded smoothly, his genuinely pleasant tone punctuated by his friendly smile.**

**Feeling reassured, Sofia playfully jabbed his shoulder. "Thanks, Goku. I don't think anyone else could've put it into perspective for me like that," she serenely retorted, adding slyly, "And because you're so awesome, I'll spoil one of my best techniques – show you what I've been working on in secret. I haven't even practiced it with Piccolo. I'd love to try it out with you and see what you think of it."**

**Jumping to his feet, Goku fidgeted giddily as he exclaimed, "Really? Is it bigger than your Crimson Wave?"**

**Nodding, she mused, "I think so. The bigger my opponent's attack, the more powerful my technique will be. At least in theory…I haven't tried it against a Kamehame-ha, after all."**

**Stars of excitement in his eyes, Goku practically swooned with glee as he pulled Sofia up and declared, "Alright! C'mon we gotta try it right now!"**

**"Whaa—?" before Sofia could complete her reply, Goku used Instant Transmission to teleport them smack dab in the middle of the clearing between Gohan and Piccolo.**

**The two friends skidded backwards from the sudden arrivals and face-faulted to the ground. "Oops! Sorry, guys! Let my excitement get the best of me. Can we cut in?" Goku chirped affably as Gohan stood and dusted himself off while Piccolo glanced at Sofia, then at his former archrival.**

**"What're you two up to?" Piccolo mused with a conspiratorial edge to his tone as he stood to his imposing height and dusted his hands off.**

**Sofia inwardly swooned, checking her roving gaze of his weighted gear-free frame as his muscles flexed with his movement. She diverted her stare when he glanced back towards her. "Oh, nothing really. We're gonna—" Sofia's aloof musing was interrupted by a giddy Goku.**

**"Sofia's gonna use her super secret technique against my Kamehame-ha!" the Saiyan's smile was so wide his eyes were cresting happily.**

**Sweatdropping, she elbowed the taller man and snickered, "Jeez, Goku! It's called a super secret technique for a reason. I meant I would show you one-on-one later on."**

**"Is this the same technique you were practicing the day we left the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Piccolo inquired, raising a skeptical brow ridge when she started swaying innocently from side to side, while drawing circles with the tip of her weighted boot into the battered soil.**

**"Maybe," she mused before phasing out from the middle of the clearing to appear in one corner of the battleground, gesturing for Goku to take the other corner as she chortled in the comical voice of a carnival barker, "Spectators out of the ring! The fighters are about to begin."**

**Goku giggled and phased to his corner. "Yeah, c'mon – Sofia and I want to try this technique out and take it for a spin," he remarked as he got into his fighting stance, watching as Sofia pulled her sweatshirt in one swift motion and tossed it off to the side.**

**Now in her fitted black and purple-trimmed sports bra and mid-waist dark blue jeggings, she stretched her limbs and back before digging her weighted boots – which were fashioned in the similar style as Goku's, but just dark purple with black trim – into the loose soil before falling into her unique battle stance; front leg stretched forward with pointed toe, while all her weight rested on her back leg, palms bent outward and close to her torso. She'd been developing her own version of weighted gear that weren't armor-based; thicker, denser weaves that would weigh the equivalent of Goku's blue undershirt, but wouldn't be as constricting or stifling. Since Saiyan armor was too bulky, she'd materialize weighted fabrics that seemed innocuously flexible, but had a density equivalent to the weight of Piccolo's shoulder pads. Her sports bra was the most successful of her weighted gear, as it mimicked the idea of Kyouran's heavy breastplate armor, but still gave Sofia the flexibility and freedom she wanted. She'd also been trying out creating flexible weighted gauntlets, but had opted for going gauntlet-free today. Having spent the latter half of their time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber training to become faster and more agile, she'd explained to them that she'd continue using weighted gear in their sparring sessions in order not to lose her edge and become as acclimated to the constant extra weight just like Goku and Piccolo have. "Plus, I've always wanted to toss off my weighted gear in dramatic fashion right before a battle gets super serious," she'd quipped, and earned a chuckle from the two unruly-haired Saiyans.**

**"So, you're gonna pull off your weighted bra in the middle of a battle?" Piccolo had drawled acerbically.**

**Sweatdropping at her breakdown in logic, Sofia had laughed and retorted, "Uh, no! But whenever Bulma flashed someone, it sure worked as a perfect distraction."**

**Now, seeing her standing like a fierce otherworldly Amazon ready for battle, Piccolo caught himself raking his stare appreciatively over her curves and lithe belly before lingering on the swell of her cleavage that was concealed securely by the fitted garment. Said sports bra's bodice tapered off at the high point of her abdomen and was held together by mismatched straps that fastened it to her shoulders and ribcage.**

**'Before you admonish me,' Sofia cut in telepathically when she saw Piccolo's gaze intensify on her as he was about to voice his protest, adding, 'I promise I won't get carried away. I just really wanna see what this technique can do absorbing someone else's energy attack.'**

**"Humph. Fine," Piccolo muttered and headed to where they'd been lounging before. "C'mon, kid. Best to give them ample room," he gestured over his shoulder for Gohan to follow him.**

**Once they were the only ones in the clearing, Goku and Sofia sized each other up, ignoring the chirping of birds in the distance and the lazy sway of the breeze as it came down from the mountain range in the distance to cool off the valley and signal the approach of dusk. Said breeze carried a wayward leaf to surf along the air current before it fluttered down into the center of their sparring ground. As soon as the leaf touched the soil, both fighters went at it, appearing as flashes of movement and snaps of light as their blows collided. Sparring earnestly, they let their ki rise and flow within them, a constant buildup that allowed them to charge energy for a finishing attack they'd unleash at the most opportune moment. Sofia avoided his punch and flipped backwards like a graceful feline, using her ki polarity to bank out of the way from Goku's knee before blocking his next punch with her braced forearms.**

**Piccolo and Gohan watched the sparring session with avid wonder. Gohan's was plainly lit on his face, while Piccolo's was gleaming in his eyes. The promise Sofia showed in being able to spar and avoid being pummeled by Goku was still phenomenal to him. He was floored to watch as she barreled a series of roundhouse kicks that put the haphazardly spiky-haired fighter on defense. It was a source of pride, not to mention incredibly attractive, to see her being so fierce and formidable in battle.**

**"Wow," Gohan piped as his father and Sofia began to counter every blow the other leveled. Piccolo glanced down at his young friend and smirked. "It's still such a wonder that Sofia isn't even from our dimension, but can keep up with Dad," the raven-haired boy remarked up at the Namekian warrior. "I'm so glad she's with us."**

**Weighing the young boy's retort, Piccolo glanced back at the battle and remained silent. It wasn't something they'd figured out yet. He'd put off thinking about it until this moment, and it took much effort for him to push it to the back of his mind.**

**"You ready, Sofia?" Goku inquired in that steely tone of his he'd adopt when in the concentrated zeal of battle, catching her fists in his large palms before grappling her advancing form back a few paces.**

**"Oh yeah, Kakarot. Give me your best shot!" she grinned before they blasted apart and phased back to their corners of the battleground.**

**Falling into the fluid kata-like motions she'd come to know as him charging up his signature attack, Goku cupped his hands together and curved his stance as he recited, "Kaaaaaa-meeeeeeh-haaaaaaa-meeeeeeeeeh-HAAAAA!"**

**The blue energy crackled and whirled like molten heat towards her almost in slow motion. She took a sobering breath, concentrating her own ki to ebb into her aura before honing it to sizzle like pulsating gloves around her hands and creep flaringly up to envelop her arms. _Just one shot at this…_**

**The awe-inspiring scintillating energy careened straight at her, and unlike her attack, this was monumentally different in scope and sensation. Goku's energy felt like pure cosmic fire – as if the sun's core had produced the coalescing plasma-like energy wave – but at the same time it didn't burn. It was daunting how the mass of booming power made the atmosphere vibrate. As it cut through the air towards her, Sofia braced herself, spiking all of her energy in a steady pulse down into her arms to catch the mass just as it barreled into her protective aura.**

**Gritting her teeth, she gripped the incorporeal force as if it was a beam that would pop, the energy's membrane dangerously thin as she began to will her ki to cannibalize the massive wave, little by little. Skidding slightly, she dug in her heels and bared the brunt of the wave by pushing her shoulders back and framing her elbows to be level before pushing her arms against the force. Her spiritual energy began to greedily devour the molten power just as the core of it shattered and bled out of the bubble-thin membrane to flash a burst of brilliantly dazzling flashes outwards.**

**Dumbfounded, Goku watched with his palms still cupped and outstretched as Sofia seemed to absorb his energy wave, her aura morphing from the vibrant crimson hue to a maroon glow before bursting forth and taking on the similar bright blue of the ki her spiritual energy had cannibalized. When the remaining Kamehame-ha wave flickered and sparked from being absorbed by her spiritual energy-laced hands, her whole frame glowed wildly; energy crackling like electric bolt-like static that licked her aura and dazzled about.**

**When Piccolo and Gohan recovered from the blinding burst of energy, they stood in shock. Glowing in a vibrantly pulsing aura of violet that enveloped her frame, Sofia stood like a living beacon in the clearing; her hair tossing about from the sheer undulating force her body was housing and warring to keep corked. Her eyes glowed like blazing rubies as she concentrated on willing stability in herself; her frame was shaking as she stood with her hands clenched and her heels rooted into the soil, concentrating on converting the Saiyan's energy attack into power she could redirect before it fizzled out of her.**

**For the first time, Piccolo could see and _feel_  her power level, and it was disorienting.**

**"You ready, Goku?"**

**The Saiyan's eyes went wider than normal and his jaw dropped as he watched Sofia begin to fall into a very familiar stance, cupping her palms and curving her frame to the side as she began to chant, "Kaaaaaa-meeeeeeh-haaaaaaa-meeeeeeeeeh- _HAAAAA_!**

**The powerful attack she blasted was a hybrid of his and her energy, hot and searing like hers, but with the daunting mass and fluidity of his as it coalesced like molten plasma incased in in a lightning-like membrane that careened towards him.**

**"Whoa!" Goku shouted in surprise as he braced himself to catch his own repurposed attack. Slamming his hands against the beaming wave of blistering energy, the Saiyan realized it was a completely re-engineered attack that he wasn't used to. Not wanting to chance it doing any damage to the area around them by detonating it, he instead drove the force of it upwards before deflecting it with a spike of his ki that he pulsated with a sharp blast through his palms. The energy attack snapped upwards into the sky before it zoomed through the clouds and across the stratosphere just as it detonated with a dull boom that lit the sky in a brilliant array of colors and pulsations that could've rivaled the Aurora Borealis.**

**"Holy shit!"**

**Everyone snapped their gaze from balking up at the sky back down and over to Sofia, who was still glowing with that eerie aura. She was staring up and down at her hands, as if trying to rationalize that the destructive force Goku had deflected truly came from her, before glancing across the battle site to the astounded Saiyan.**

**"Holy fucking hell, Goku! This is the most energy I've ever felt in my entire life!" Sofia shouted with manic enthusiasm, as she hopped around doing a kata sequence at a speed she'd never been able to reach before. "I feel amazing! Nothing can stop me–I'm invincible—!" she paused in her boisterous cheering and supersonic motions suddenly; the feeling of something misfiring flashing in her mind as the energy in her system just flooded over and overloaded her senses. "Hah-uhh—oh shit," she sputtered before wavering and falling backwards in a death drop-like faint.**

**"SOFIA!"**

**Piccolo and Gohan sped over while Goku rushed to get by her side as well to check on her. They watched as the two-tone aura fizzled away from her frame and the crackling of energy zapped out to leave Sofia laying flat on her back, completely out cold. At least that's what they thought until she suddenly bolted to sit upright, shaking her head from side to side as if trying to literally shake the overload off before she blinked, raised her hand as if she was about to declare something, then fell backwards again, but this time, with disoriented spirals in her eyes.**

**Sweatdropping, the three fighters exchanged looks of varying degrees of worry before Piccolo leaned over and shook her. "Dammit, woman! You promised not to get carried away, and you ended up almost blowing yourself up," he snarled as he continued to shake her awake from the disoriented state she was in. "No more of this recklessness. And you!" Piccolo whirled on Goku, who blinked his eyes into a wider shocked stare as his once archrival barked, "You get baited every goddamn time by her into some stupid totally one-sided spar session without comprehending she is trying to impress you and overestimating what she's capable of! Next time she tells you about some fucking secret technique, just know she probably has in no way trained enough or even tested it out adequately enough to withstand a Super Saiyan's power level!"**

**Bemused, Gohan stared at Piccolo as Goku stood too dumbfounded to retort.**

**"Awwwwwwwwww, Piccolo is all flustered cuz of little ol'meeee," Sofia hiccupped suddenly, staring at them with hooded eyes and a comical smile as she swooned, "Isn't he the most sweetest thing ever?"**

**Face-faulting, Piccolo blushed with violent consternation, leaving his emerald features violet as Gohan fell backwards in his cackling while Goku began to nervously laugh.**

**"I'm sorry, Sofia! I guess I gave my attack way too much juice. But I gotta say, that was AMAZING!" the Saiyan enthusiastically cut in through all the laughter, crouching down to help her stand, catching her as she wobbled a bit. "Please, please, please teach me that technique once you got it down?" he petitioned in that genuinely jovial way of his as he beamed at her.**

**Recovering from his consternation, Piccolo stood and helped prop Sofia up when she wobbled backwards. "I mean it, dammit. We're all training to get stronger, not blast each other to dust with a recklessly orchestrated technique!" he snapped, an edge of mounting fury in his tone as he glared at Goku.**

**"I know, Piccolo! I just said she can teach me when she's figured it out and gotten rid of all the kinks," the haphazardly spike-haired fighter pouted, before cutting conspiratorially to Sofia, "I noticed a couple of things you can do differently next time that might prevent the power overload. I think with practice, you could totally absorb even a Super Saiyan Kamehame-ha!"**

**"You think so, Dad?" Gohan gasped in wonder, staring up at Sofia, who was currently still out of it, smiling almost drunkenly at Goku before what he said finally registered.**

**"I'll be a bootleg Super Saiyan biter who jacks all the power, muahahaha~," she prattled with a silly sigh before yawning and leaning fully on Piccolo now, who glanced down at her with a scowl. "Su-pah Saiya-jin Sofia," she mused as she fell asleep for a moment, before Piccolo nudged her awake again with a firm shake of her shoulder. "I'm awake! Don't put me in the cold bathwater!"**

**Sweatdropping, Goku and Gohan burst into laughter all over again as Piccolo scoffed and whisked the disoriented Sofia into his arms. "She's still clearly fried. Let's call it a day," he grumbled as Sofia blinked at him and at the others.**

**"Yeah, sounds good. Plus, it's dinner time!" Goku remarked merrily as he and Gohan rushed to collect their things from the hill they had taken their break on. When they returned and joined Piccolo in ascending to the air, Goku suddenly asked, "Oh yeah – what's that technique called?"**

**Sobering, Sofia smiled broadly at Goku and declared, "Livewire Mode!"**

**"Ooooooh" Goku and Gohan hummed in awe, the name quite fitting, all considering.**

**Rolling his eyes, Piccolo groused, "Well you'll be keeping that mode off until you work on honing it, understood?"**

**Nodding vigorously, Sofia wrapped her arms around his neck and drawled, "Yes sir, my yummy Namekian stud muffin."**

* * *

 

**Gohan watched from the living room window how the sunset slowly flirted with ebbing into full dusk, enjoying the soft breeze that whizzed by. His mother was keeping busy by crocheting a scarf for the upcoming winter, while his father and his mentor were unwinding from the day out in the yard.**

**In the distance, he could faintly see Sofia's silhouette – still lounging in the soft grass of the valley, quietly relaxing to the music produced by her trusty boombox.**

**After they'd laughed hysterically at Piccolo's expense all the way home, the four fighters had enjoyed a pleasant dinner together before Sofia had been forbidden from doing the dishes and was instructed by Chi-Chi to go relax at once; having been told by an enthusiastic Goku of the exerting feat she'd accomplished. Reluctantly, Sofia had excused herself to go unwind out in the cool air.**

**Gohan had come to know Sofia very well. He knew that while she enjoyed spending time with them, just like Piccolo, she sought out moments of solitude. Unlike his former sensei, however, her form of meditation was listening to music. It was an escape that allowed her to achieve quiet reflection, even if the music was nowhere near quiet and relaxing to others. It was as if the louder and more turbulent the music was, the more it calmed and centered her. He'd asked her once how she could feel relaxed when the music sounded like angry chaos, and she'd smiled. "It helps me tune out the world. The loud heavy feelings it invokes sorta…I don't know, mellows me out?" He'd been confused, but after watching her from a distance, Gohan realized that in her life, she must've used music as an escape – an outlet where she could expel her rage and transform it into reflection. Listening to chaos helped her absorb the chaos of the world, and be able to not only function in it, but make peace with it, no matter how much sadness or isolation she had to endure. She rarely spoke of that side of her life, but like Piccolo, he knew there was a lot of pain she'd struggled with. Their combating of that darkness had been different, sure, but it didn't mean she didn't still deal with it in some way and strove now to be a better, more focused person who saw the good more than the bad.**

**Now, her penchant for all things loud and booming didn't mean she didn't listen to other kinds of music in her moments of silly fun with him. She'd shared her vast catalogue of music and knowledge with him, and he'd bee surprised to find everything from classical music, to happy-go-lucky pop music in her collection. There was even music that seemed to be her go-to soundtrack when she would train her kata and formations by herself. "Ah, my dear boy, this is punk rock!" she'd stated with glee over the rhythmic yet thrashing guitars and battering drums; definitely a lighter fair than the 'harder' rock he'd heard her play previously, but only after watching her bop her head in time to the tempo and tap her foot in time with the drums did he realize this was the kind of music that put her in a concentrated zone. She enjoyed the irreverent and fast-paced hard-edged melodies that seemed to pump her up and focus her in her flurried training. Piccolo would bunch his shoulders up around his ears and stalk off to be as far from the noise as possible while Gohan and Goku would sit and watch her go into her dizzying volleys and improvised parries as she would come up with new combos on the spot. "It helps pump me up – like revs my concentration so I can visualize what I wanna do way before I do it," she'd explained after one session she ended with a fluid set of vaults, pirouettes and volley-like dancing before flipping and jumping nimbly, tossing her hair and falling into swaying as she bopped her head in time to the waning song.**

**He'd asked her how she came about her vast collection, and she'd explained how she'd do chores around the neighborhood, babysit, even make CD playlists and sell them to the other kids at her school. All just so she could save up and buy everything she had. "It took me almost a year to save up for the boombox," she'd mused as she patted the trusty musical device almost lovingly. "And the albums came along little by little. Next thing I'd been saving up for is way too pricey…it'd take a couple of years of babysitting and mowing lawns to get it, but hey," she'd shrugged before her smile faltered and her gaze wandered over to the horizon, getting lost in thought.**

**For a young boy, Gohan was intuitive and observant in a way that most adults were too self-centered to be. In those moments when her eyes would dim in faraway thought, he knew his friend was repressing some feeling that he'd never felt. They were short-lived, but he often wondered if there was any reason for her to go back to her dimension if all that would greet her was an isolating and lonely life – one she'd escaped to instead thrive in this realm, surrounded by friends that welcomed her like family.**

**Looking over his shoulder, he saw his mother had fallen into a light doze, hands in mid crotchet over her lap. Sneaking over, he placed a blanket around her gently, managing to not stir her awake. Tip-toeing to the window, he hopped out, and scurried across the lush valley, not noticing that Goku and Piccolo were watching him from their vantage point – sitting on the roof of the raven-haired fighter's childhood home. The two fighters watched Gohan head over to where Sofia was relaxing, and continued their conversation after a few silent moments.**

**"I did notice how after she'd absorbed my attack, I could sense her power level for the first time. It was super weird…" Goku continued where'd they'd left off.**

**Grunting, Piccolo replied, "Did you figure out what made it weird?"**

**"I think so…it was almost like I was sensing myself, but not really. I think my energy was sort of enveloping hers in a way that…I guess in a way that revealed the scope of her own power?"**

**Nodding, Piccolo mused, "I always assumed her power level would be on the same level as mine, at least. But…if that was a glimpse of her true untapped potential…"**

**"I wouldn't even know how to measure that. I guess it'd be…maybe somewhat on the same level as Trunks's?" Goku whispered, almost surprising himself when he realized how shocking that would be if it was truly the case.**

**There was a tense pause between them while Piccolo contemplated what Goku had said. Other than replicating the same conditions in which they were able to sense her, there was no way to know for sure. He wasn't keen on encouraging that technique anymore after seeing the side effects of it going haywire, so he pushed the concern to the side. "There's another way to sense out her power anyway. It's not the best, but if I trained to focus on it more—"**

**"What do you mean? I've sparred with her tons, and she's never given off a way to sense her," Goku curiously glanced at the imposing warrior.**

**"It's only really happened once. When she leaks her ki outward during battle, it can give off some residual reverberation – sort of like when you strike a tuning fork. It's incredibly faint, so trying to hone in on it just expends too much attention and energy. I only figured it out when I sparred with her while blindfolded," Piccolo explained, earning an awed grunt from Goku.**

**"Whoa…yeah, that sounds like a lot of work just to sense her. Luckily she's on our side, huh," he mused irreverently, that damnable easygoing grin quirking his jovial expression.**

**Piccolo tersely sighed. "Yeah – you don't want to end up on the opposite side of her. That was one fight I don't want to repeat again."**

**Humming, Goku changed the subject. "I had no idea you two spent all that time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I remember not being able to last a while in there. It was so…daunting," he mused thoughtfully, lying back against the smooth roof shingles as he crossed one leg over the other and propped his hands behind his head. "You're a really good teacher, Piccolo," the affable man chirped, earning a grunt from the other warrior.**

**Sitting with a knee propped against the lip of the roof and with his arms crossed, Piccolo watched as Gohan began to try sneaking slowly up to Sofia, who was resting on her back with her forearm across her eyes. "Anybody can be a decent martial artists if they're antagonized hard enough," he acerbically quipped, glancing sidelong at Goku when he quirked his brows derisively at that.**

**"Not true! Don't be modest. Gohan is a great fighter and has learned a lot more from you than I could teach him—"**

**"That's because you've been dead and lost in space for a good chunk of his life, Goku," Piccolo cut in dryly, earning a goofy chuckle from the Saiyan.**

**"I'm being serious, Piccolo. Before Raditz, he was scared of his own shadow. Gohan is smart and brave, and focused now—all those things are because of your influence. I can see the same with Sofia. Sure, she started at a different point, but from what Gohan's told me, I can see your time training together has probably made her a much better person on top of being a great fighter—"**

**"She was always a good person. Just…misunderstood. And ridiculously immature," Piccolo mused, adding, "Well, she's still a bit immature; all those damned silly things she comes up with—"**

**Goku was already giggling in that irreverent way of his as he was reminded of her disoriented flirtatious remarks at the Namekian warrior's expense. "Ooooh, you're her yummy stud muffin, Piccolo," Goku sing-sung before having to stifle his goofy chuckling after receiving Piccolo's cold death glare. Gulping, he changed the subject yet again. "Well, I'm excited to see what else we can all learn from each other. I told her today I think she shouldn't feel obligated to leave—"**

**"What?" Piccolo stared him down. "When—?"**

**"Hey, don't worry. It was a good talk. I know she's probably feeling torn, but I'm not worried. We all want her to stay. It's up to her to figure out what is best for her, right?" Goku offered earnestly, nodding resolutely when Piccolo blinked at him and grunted in agreement.**

**_Damn…Son is actually right. It's her decision. I…want her to stay, regardless of everything that would push her to having to return to her dimension. But, it's her decision…_ **

* * *

 

**The music was low enough not to disturbingly echo throughout the valley, the rock melody still able to help her zone out. She was still recovering from the residual surge of having absorbed Goku's massive power, which had been disorienting and exhilarating all at the same time. The charge of wayward ki skittered across her skin and warmed her body against the chill of the approaching night air as she inhaled a calming breath and expelled it slowly. Currently, she was replaying her conversation with the good-hearted Saiyan from earlier, unable to not feel humbled that someone so selfless and legendary would cherish her friendship.**

**She heard the soft rustle of some grass before she rolled and caught Gohan's hand as it went to crank up the volume of her boombox. "Don't even try it!" she goofily admonished before he playfully pulled his hand away and pretended like he was only dancing to the sounds coming from the boombox.**

**"I wasn't! I'm just moshing," the young demi-Saiyan goofed as he wiggled about in a completely rhythm less fashion.**

**Laughing, Sofia jumped up and started to mimic him. "Dude, this is flailing, _not_  moshing! It takes two to tango, and way more than that to mosh appropriately. Have I  _not_  taught you the basics of rock history?!" she joked before taking a rock power stance and playing air guitar in time to the solo of the song currently blaring on the boombox at her feet. **

**"Oh yeah! But it's hard to remember. Rock dance party?" Gohan suggested cheekily as he started to pantomime playing the drums.**

**Snickering, she remembered the first time she'd let Gohan peruse her collection of music, asking him to pull out the first album that struck his fancy. When he pulled out the CD and handed it to her, Sofia had grinned from ear to ear. Popping the album in her boombox, she'd instructed him to punch in track 4, telling him that particular song should be a Z Fighter anthem before any battle. Curious, Gohan had pressed play on the track, and had his mind blown after the first few bars of innocuous synth played before kicking into a brash and boisterous rock explosion.**

**"Alright! How about a lil Andrew W.K.?" she asked, using her telekinesis to pop the boombox open, swap out the CD and levitate the aforementioned album from its case.**

**"YEAH!" Gohan cheered, having come to enjoy that artist's first album the most of all the music Sofia had let him peruse during their down time when they could just spend time being goofy friends.**

**Popping the album into the player, Sofia cranked the music and went into a fitful and unselfconscious dance session, joined by Gohan. It was a great way to blow off steam and have silly fun – trying to one-up each other one move after another until the song hit its zenith, then they'd branch off into their own dance interpretations to the beat.**

**Watching from a distance, Goku and Piccolo snorted and giggled at the sight as the two younger fighters rocked on like the only audience members at a wild concert. Shaking his head ruefully, Piccolo grumbled, "See what I had to put up with? Now she's got Gohan in on it too."**

**"Heeheeheehee – aww, c'mon, Piccolo. They gotta have fun sometime. Let 'em live a little," he chortled, snapping his fingers slightly offbeat from the rhythm of the song as it echoed dully over to them.**

**Huffing with gruff amusement, Piccolo couldn't submerge his lopsided smirk as he watched them continue to dance around and laugh happily. Gohan's rhythm was something to behold, and while Sofia tried her best to train the little fella, he just had two left feet when it came to dancing. She, however, had moves that always mystified him. They could be zany and quirky, luscious and practiced, or even nimble and graceful depending on her mood. It was a wonder to watch her when she combined all of the above in one dance session. If there was a World Dance Tournament, she'd surely wipe the floor with the competition.**

**"WHAT'S ALL THAT RACKET?!"**

**Freezing, everyone paused and looked warily over at the open front door of the cottage, where an annoyed Chi-Chi stood, tapping her foot impatiently as she shot a stern look and hollered for everyone to get their butts back in the house and call it a night.**

**Laughing nervously, Gohan and Sofia packed everything up in a hurry and scurried back to the house, apologizing profusely to Chi-Chi all the way in while she authoritatively marched back in with them. "You too, Goku! Get your butt in here and get ready for bed!" she bellowed out the door before slamming it shut.**

**Wincing, Piccolo kept his shoulders bunched up by his ears while Goku sweatdropped and nervously giggled, scratching the back of his head as he chortled, "Well, guess the party's over. See yah tomorrow, Piccolo!"**

**With that, he slid off the roof, and ambled happily over to his family home, offering an enthusiastic wave over his shoulder at his former nemesis.**

**Sighing, Piccolo stood on the roof and was about to take off, when Sofia purred telepathically, 'Wait up for me? I'll meet you at our spot.'**

**'You should call it a night after overdoing it today—'**

**'I want to call it a night with you. Please?' she cut in affectionately.**

**Wearing him down, he mumbled wryly, 'Alright…'**

* * *

 

**The twilight sky was dusted with glimmering stars on the cloudless night, a beautiful tranquil sight overhead as they lounged in their secret spot overlooking the slumbering valley that stretched out almost infinitely under the cover of darkness.**

**Tilting his head sideways, Piccolo mused in a husky tone, "You sure you don't want me to do this? I didn't exactly overload my muscles today, you know."**

**Snickering, Sofia kneaded the tension out of his upper back, squeezing her knees against his sides affectionately as she rubbed a certain spot between his shoulder blades that made him hum with approval. "I'm fine. Even with Livewire Mode leaving me haywire, you're the one all stressed out. All your worrying causes more tension in these firm muscles of yours. You're carrying it like you have thousands of pounds in those shoulderpads you wear," she mused smoothly, caressing his back with her fingertips before trailing them down the line of his spine as she added in a purr, "Plus, having your hands on me would be too much of a turn on…"**

**Shivering, Piccolo turned, leaning provocatively against her as he growled, "Quit teasing, or I'm putting my shirt back on—"**

**"Alright, alright!" she cajoled, gesturing for him to turn back around so she could continue massaging his back. When he acquiesced, she rubbed the muscle that joined neck to shoulders, earning a slow soothed growl from him as he bowed his head and enjoyed the doting treatment from his twin star. "I had an interesting talk today with Goku—"**

**"I know."**

**Pausing, Sofia's eyes became little skeptical dots as she mused, "Were you eavesdropping again?"**

**"No. He told me about it after dinner," he responded stoically, huffing through his nose as he relaxed further under her ministrations. "What did you think of his advice?"**

**Pondering for a moment as she continued to massage the tension out of his shoulders, Sofia glanced up at the sky, watching some stars twinkle brighter than others. "It was very reassuring…just don't know if it could be that simple."**

**Weighing her remark, Piccolo found himself wanting to say how much he wanted her to stay, and that it could really be that simple. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he inhaled and huffed out instead, "I think that's only for you to decide."**

**A silent pause greeted him before her hands lingered on his shoulders. Caressing the taut pink patches, she murmured, "Do you want me to stay?"**

**Turning, Piccolo's eyes intensified for a moment. He contemplated her expectant expression, softened by the starlight overhead as her eyes gleamed at him.**

**Surprising her by taking her in his arms and rolling so they'd be lying in a softer patch of lush grass, Piccolo loomed over her – his arms framing her under him as he gazed purposely into her wide-eyed expression.**

**"I want you to be happy." Her eyes softened at hearing that, so he forged on, "I…want to make you happy. But, it's not my decision. I know we've put off dealing with it…but for me, I don't…I don't want you to leave," when she caressed his cheek, Piccolo huffed through his nose, and gazed into her eyes. "It's your decision to make."**

**Sofia felt the lump in her chest tighten into a knot, the conflict of emotions she felt overwhelming in the moment, until he leaned close and kissed her tenderly. Her heart leapt in her chest when he parted from the kiss and caressed her cheek, brushing rogue strands of hair away from her face.**

**She felt it all coming to a head in that moment, and regardless of the insistence her mind yelled that she make a decision, her heart didn't want to listen. Instead, she leaned up and murmured in Piccolo's ear, "Can I decide tomorrow?"**

**Grunting with humor at that, Piccolo nodded, rolling to lie next to her in the grass. She sidled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder as he encircled her waist with his arm while he propped his free forearm behind his head. They relaxed next to each other and simply watched the stars and listened to the chirping of crickets deep in the lush forest for a long while.**

**When Sofia felt her eyes fluttering sleepily and her body began to doze in the tranquility and calm, Piccolo stirred her back awake by muttering softly against her temple, "You can't fall asleep out here."**

**"Mmm, yes I can. Watch me…" she protested goofily and snuggled him. Piccolo scoffed, but ended up chuckling warmly deep in his chest when she nuzzled him under his jaw.**

**"I'm serious. After your tawdry comments today, you can't give Son any more suspicions – strolling into the house after being out with me all night definitely won't be something that'll go unnoticed," he drawled aloofly, earning a dismissive huff from her as she sat up and raised an amused eyebrow at him.**

**"First off, they can't sense me, so how would they know I was out with you, hmmmm? And secondly, we're talking about Goku here! Unless he caught us both at an all you can eat buffet wearing matching "We're totally boning!" shirts, I don't think he'd be suspicious about anything," she retorted and lounged on his chest.**

**Rolling his eyes, he stretched out, putting his hands behind his head, as he purred, "You're really that impatient for alone time after last night?"**

**Batting her lashes at him, she kissed his bare chest and mused, "You were the one saying to stop teasing earlier. You're gonna go there now?"**

**"I'm not. Just reminding you that all good things comes to those who wait," he offered confidently, shrugging debonairly.**

**"Are you implying I'm too smitten with your sexual prowess – that I'm insatiable and can't keep my hands off of you, Mr. Sexy Stud Muffin?" she teased, her voice taking on that smoky timbre that heated his blood.**

**"I'm saying if you stay out here, I might not be able to keep my hands to myself much longer, and when we're M.I.A. in the morning, that'll certainly force us to do a lot of explaining I don't think either of us are ready to deal with," Piccolo husked, sitting up to lean back on his hands as he regarded her with a searing look that sent an excited flutter into her core.**

**Biting her bottom lip, Sofia huffed in frustration and stood, glaring comically down at him as she muttered, "I wouldn't care if they found us in the throes of hot, steamy passionate sex with you dominating me right here and now in the grass, but nooooo, I'm being all demure and secretive to humor my prudish and totally bashful—"**

**Piccolo was on his feet and backing her up into the closest tree before pulling her against him and devouring her in an ardent kiss, hands possessively caressing her body before gripping the firm curve of her backside as he pressed against her. Gasping a hearty sigh of pleasure, Sofia gripped his shoulders when he pulled back and gave her the most seductive look before squeezing her derriere and rumbling against her lips, "And I appreciate your consideration and discretion on my account…so, do me a favor and quit teasing me, would yah."**

**Feeling weak in the knees, Sofia pulled him down for a kiss and playfully shoved him back before it became too torrid, the blush and appreciative gaze she gave him speaking volumes as she thought, _Oh man…waiting until we can be all alone overnight is gonna be one hell of an exercise in impulse control…but at least I won't be the only one._**

**" _Fine_ ," she purred sultrily. "I'll call it a night, but just remember how incredibly accommodating I am, when I could be really demanding of you instead." **

**Grunting at that, he watched her as she went to saunter past him, but couldn't help getting the last word as he playfully pinched her butt and earned a surprised gasp. "Trust me. I'm real appreciative."**

**Scoffing, Sofia laughed with true mirth, really relishing his rare flirtatious and naughty side. Smiling affectionately at him as she phased over to give him a goodbye peck on the lips, her eyes glowed in the night warmly at him after handing him his shirt she'd levitated into her grasp. Pulling the shirt on, he walked with her to the edge of the cliff side that overlooked the valley, and let her slip from his grasp as she levitated upwards before shooting him a sexy wink and flying towards the Son cottage.**

**Snorting, Piccolo huffed a long sigh. _Next time, I just might take her up on her offer, right here and out in the open…_**

* * *

 

**She'd snuck back into the house as quietly as she'd snuck out, but the moment her head hit the pillow, her mind began to wander and fixate. The events of the day washed over her before her recollections replayed everything she'd experienced since crossing the threshold of her mirror to enter this dimension. _Their dimension…_**

**Sofia felt compelled to sit up and glance out the window at the starry sky, wondering if it was too late. _No…I gotta go and just get it over with._ Her thought spurred her to grab her small backpack and sneak back out of the house, where she snapped her fingers to materialize a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt onto her form before pulling on her weighted boots and taking off into the night sky for the coordinates she'd been long overdo to return to. **

**As she flew, she felt the anxiety she'd been suppressing for weeks begin to well in her chest. Pushing the panic away, she propelled more ki into her bloodstream and shot off higher into the clouds. The higher she went, the more she could see the curve of the horizon as it glowed with the slowly advancing dawn that was cresting on the opposite side of the Earth. When she saw the monolithic tower that ascended upwards into the sky towards the base of the Lookout, Sofia swallowed and exhaled a cleansing breath out of her nose before shooting off to begin making the ascent towards the palace in the sky. The wind whipped strongly around her as she cleared a bank of starlit clouds before she let herself free fall and land in a soft crouch onto the tiled courtyard. From so high up, night around the Lookout resembled peaceful twilight. The stars dimly illuminated her way as she crossed the center of the courtyard towards the impressive palace. When she reached the main entrance, she hesitated, second guessing if she was doing the right thing, when her ruminating thoughts were interrupted by a serene voice.**

**"My my, you're quite early, child."**

**Sofia turned towards the alcove that led towards the same interior courtyard she'd spoken to Kami in what seemed like ages ago to her now, and was greeted by the smiling Guardian of Earth as he ambled over towards her.**

**"I'm sorry…I figured you'd be expecting me. This visit's been overdue," Sofia replied, her smile not really reaching her crimson eyes.**

**"I owed you some answers to questions you had tabled for later…but that's not what you're presently worried about," Kami mused, reading her faraway gaze when she glanced away and sighed.**

**Shaking her head, Sofia inhaled a sobering breath before pushing all her feelings deep down in order to let her features go into the stoic mask she'd trained herself to use her whole life for moments like these.**

**Nodding thoughtfully, Kami gestured with his trusty staff towards a corridor just off to their side as he sagaciously mused, "Come. Popo and I prepared a room."**

**Hanging her head, Sofia followed the elder counterpart of her twin star as he led her down the almost ethereally lit corridor before ascending a staircase into a wing of the Lookout seldom visited by anyone. As they approached a turn, Kami ventured a glance at her, and saw how she was staring down at the tile as they walked. He could sense her thoughts were turbulent, so he patiently waited for her to glance over and follow him around the turn before continuing to lead her to the end of the hall towards the front of a large wooden door.**

**Turning the handle and pushing the door to swing slowly open, he remained at the threshold, so Sofia glance over at him before looking into the room. It was a large interior room with no furniture – just polished marble white tile and walls that were illuminated by the twilight glow of the skylight above and the large door-less balcony that filtered a soft breeze and starlight into the large room. Standing in the middle of the room was the large mirror she'd bought at the antique store – her way back to her own dimension. The surface of the mirror glinted from the starlight that came in from the skylight overhead.**

**"It feels like ages since I last saw it…" was all she could muse as she wandered into the room towards the mirror, walking around it as if she wasn't sure it was the right one.**

**"I'll be here if you need to talk after."**

**Glancing back at the door, she saw Kami beginning to leave. She opened her mouth to stop him, but changed her mind and simply watched him walk back down the corridor they'd come from. _Sigh…well, guess I gotta figure out how to make this work,_ she thought dully as she glanced back at the mirror. Her own reflection greeted her when she approached it. Her red eyes roved over the surface, almost expecting to see Kyouran's spectral image appear and guide her, but she never came. Instead, Sofia just ended up staring at the mirror as she recalled all the trials and tribulations she'd endured up to that point, remembering specifically how when she still had the necklace, it would act as not only her leash, but activated the magical bending of the mirror image before it would fluctuate and open the portal-like threshold between her world and this one.  _There's no more necklace…but what was in it is in me now. I should have the power to make this happen…_**

**Sofia stared at the mirror's surface as she began to concentrate willing the reflection to change. She saw, for the first time, as her eyes seemed to almost glow in the darkness, a vibrant crimson glow that reminded her of how Kyouran's eyes glowed when she was masquerading as Kitsune no Aka. It was eerie to see, but before she could get hung up on the phenomenon, the mirror began to ripple.**

**She watched as the surface began to shift, her reflection disappearing to be replaced with that of her bedroom. Taking a deep breath, Sofia stepped through the threshold, feeling the odd sensation of traversing through realms acutely now that she wasn't wearing the necklace and the power to hop dimensions was solely her own, skin deep. Emerging in her room, she turned and watched her mirror remain a rippling surface that still showed the other dimension on the opposite side; seemed to beckon her to reconsider.**

**Frowning, she turned and faced her room, glancing about and finding it had remained in the same condition as she had left it. She looked out the windows and found early morning twilight slowly advancing – dawn seeming to quickly approach. She could hear the garbage truck humming down the street. Realizing that a few weeks in the other realm must've equated to a few days in this dimension - she'd left early in the week and the garbage truck didn't come until the end of the week – Sofia wondered if she'd even been missed. Cautious, she phased towards the door of her room and carefully opened it, peeking out and realizing the house was quiet. No one was awake; at least not yet.**

**Feeling overwhelmed, she went and sat on the edge of the bed, pouring over all the 'what ifs' and concerns she'd been bottling up until now. _I'm a tall, red eyed chick now. That's gonna be pretty noticeable. If I was a freak before, I'll definitely be one now._ She looked up at the mirror, and didn't see her reflection.  _There's a whole other world I'm part of now, but I…_**

**Faltering, she shook her head and huffed.**

**"Screw this," she grumbled and stood, glancing about the room again before leaving and soundlessly going downstairs. Hustling over to the computer desk, she retrieved a pen and a blank sheet of printer paper before sitting down and composing her thoughts. It was very hard for her to even articulate what she was feeling or what to write, but after taking a cleansing breath, she shut her eyes and sighed. _Just…let it go._**

**Composed, she put her thoughts to paper, and began to write in cursive the things she'd felt and thought; stopping short of letting her heart pour out her hopes as well as any of her anger and resentment. Sitting back, she read it over once, and thought it was the best she'd be able to do. Sighing, she signed the bottom and stood, leaving the letter on the keyboard and returning up the stairs, avoiding the urge to go to the backdoor and see Prince, who was sleeping out on the patio, none the wiser.**

**When she entered her room, she looked about and decided to pack a few things, tossing clothes and other belongings into a pile on her bed before digging for some other cherished items and necessities. Finding all the things she cared about, including a pair of headphones, her secret stash of saved money, and a battered Walkman CD player, she encapsulated them and returned the capsule case for safe keeping to her backpack. Centering herself, she took one last look around before turning back to the mirror and seeing it was still reflecting the other dimension. _I control my own destiny. If I want to, I can set my path, and I don't want to set it here._**

**With that, Sofia hopped back through the rippling surface to emerge on the other side, gripping the strap of her backback as she glanced backwards to watch the mirror's surface calm and flatten before reverting to dormancy. Her resolute expression was reflected back to her when she stepped back in front of it and breathed a sigh of relief.**

**Her letter had been short, and sweet.**

I never knew why I didn't seem to fit here. I found out I was never meant to. While I know I wasn't the person you expected or wanted me to be, I still thank you for taking care of me the best way you knew how. I'm leaving to start a new life. We'll most likely never meet again, but I wish you all the best. Be happy. –Sofia

**It took a lot for her to write that without letting the sadness and resentment bleed through. However, she felt a sense of peace she'd never thought possible flood her now as she took one last look of the mirror before walking out and closing the door behind her.**

* * *

 

**She sensed him, and followed her instincts as she walked through corridors until she found the walkway up to the east tower of the Lookout, where he was currently on the balcony placidly watching as the horizon began to glow with approaching dawn. As she approached, she thought of all the questions she'd had back when she and Piccolo had left the time chamber. She wasn't sure what questions to ask first, and as the sage being before her had a knack for being a great listener, she found herself strolling up to where he stood in order to stand beside him.**

**"You knew my choice before I was even sure I was making it," Sofia mused, crossing her arms as she idly stared at the horizon.**

**"I'm not all knowing, but it was easy to guess. You've grown and really come into your own here. I wasn't sure your dimension would be a place you could return to and still continue to become the person you were destined to be—"**

**"Hasn't that already happened? I'm transformed – what Kyouran was, I am now, so what else is there?" Sofia interjected, giving the elder a sidelong glance.**

**"Just because you've transformed, doesn't mean you're finished growing, Sofia," Kami mused, smiling at her as he gestured for them to sit and chat.**

**Eyeing him, Sofia relented and went to sit at the small wooden table that was off to the side of the patio-like bungalow, waiting patiently for Kami to join her before finally huffing a sigh. "I don't even know where to start. So, you're saying I'm destined to continue changing and growing—"**

**"We all are, Sofia. Everyone is destined to adapt, change and grow. We don't just plateau. There's still a lot for you to learn about yourself," Kami mused and smiled when she sweatdropped skeptically at him.**

**"Oh, c'mon – you mean figuratively? I know _that_ , Kami!" she barked and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms tightly together. "Oh, and that reminds me. This is it, right? I'm transformed completely into the being I'm supposed to be?"**

**Nodding, Kami retorted, "You are physiologically at the same level that Kyouran was. But as you know, that doesn't mean there aren't other levels of power you can't achieve. Look at Goku. He's reached the level of a Super Saiyan…and something tells me that isn't the only feat he'll reach as he continues to strive to become stronger. The only thing you're 'destined' to do is continue to reach new heights in your growth as a person and warrior."**

**Absorbing that, Sofia relaxed in her seat. "Well then, is it okay for me to ask you other questions?" when Kami nodded for her to proceed, she continued, "I know you wrote that scroll before you blocked out your memory of Kyouran, but do you remember what happened after she was killed? I mean, I was wondering about just what happened in general…"**

**Nodding thoughtfully, Kami closed his eyes and concentrated his recollections before reaching over the countertop and offering his hand to her. Blinking at the gesture, Sofia took Kami's hand and followed his lead, closing her eyes and calming her thoughts.**

**'Since these events happened after Kyouran's demise, I thought it best to reveal the sequence so you could see it for yourself,' Kami's telepathic musing echoed to her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an astral plane – somewhere between her mind and his, where he was standing in front of her with his sagacious and comforting expression.**

**She nodded, letting him know she was ready, and before she knew it, the space around them began to blossom with a landscape of memories of long-happened events.**

**'After Kyouran fell at the hands of Daimaou, his disciples trained in dark magic undertook the ritual that spirited away Kyouran's necklace into space and time – desiring to expedite her reincarnation in order to fulfill a prophecy Hiretsukan had told him…' as Kami narrated, she saw the events fall into sequence, from the ritual, to the fevered promises Iyashii Hiretsukan had made to the Demon King in front of his loyal court of demons. She watched as Daimaou's eyes had glimmered malevolently with expectation. 'But…after he killed Kyouran, Daimaou no longer trusted or believed Hiretsukan – accusing him of twisting the truth for his own purposes and dark ambitions. For his failing to turn Kyouran to his side, Daimaou destroyed Hiretsukan, and ordered for the execution of his minion, Arasoi…but the young demon disappeared, never to be seen again,' Sofia's astral self watched the events unfold, eyes wide with wonder at the brutal demise of Hiretsukan at the hands of Daimaou. She actually cringed and averted her gaze. 'After that, my evil half decided to move forward with his dastardly goals to destroy and dominate the human race. Once he'd grown his army from his own flesh and bone – a tactic he'd come to after deciding that all the lower classes of demons he held dominion over in the underworld weren't wicked enough for his ambitions, he began a campaign of terror that lasted generations. Just when I was sure I would have to intercede, even if it cost me my own life and guardianship of the Earth, a warrior emerged and went to battle against him,' Sofia watched as the scenes played out in sequence to his narration and revealed the silhouetted frame of the hero.**

**'Master Mutaito,' Sofia whispered, remembering that indeed he was the person to capture King Piccolo and entrap him with the Evil Containment Wave.**

**'Yes. Mutaito gave his life to trap Daimaou, and his only remaining pupils, the Crane and Turtle hermits, went their separate ways – training the likes of Goku and Tien Shinhan. But Mutaito was the descendant of a powerful line of mystical warriors, one that traces it's ancestry all the way back to someone familiar to you…' Kami paused as the lineage of warriors trailed backwards to their source, revealing a battle-savvy and regal figure with fine raven hair, alabaster skin, and hauntingly somber purplish-blue eyes. Gone was the jovial and irreverent glint in those eyes, so it took Sofia a second to realize whom the chiseled-jawed and seriously scowling man was.**

**Gasping, her mind flashed to the happy-go-lucky head of the Sumeragi clan who'd been Kyouran's friend and mentor. 'Saiga?!'**

**Nodding, Kami continued, 'Yes. Saiga-sama despaired after his sister's priestess village was destroyed, and the loss of his only remaining family member and his good friend all at once at the hands of Daimaou drove him to change. Renouncing his onmyouji clan responsibilities, he set on a path of combining his mystical abilities with strengthening his battle prowess, developing fighting techniques that tapped into his spiritual energy. He steeled himself and sought to avenge and protect the human race from the likes of Daimaou and any other menace – but first, he had to train others,' Sofia watched as Saiga went on to become an accomplished martial artist, who took on pupils from all over the world. The first student he ever taught was Haku – the young blacksmith from the village market. Soon, his martial arts academy would grow until he started his own family, and passed down his martial arts teaching and techniques to his son. That heir would continue passing down the Sumeragi teachings until they eventually became known as simply the greatest martial arts the world had ever seen, before his descendant, Mutaito, started his own martial arts academy. 'Saiga-sama dedicated his life to forging Earth's greatest warriors, whom using both spiritual and physical energy, were able to hone their battle prowess in order to defeat the scourge of Daimaou's legion. As you know, many martial arts warriors fell over the course of the Piccolo Wars, but Mutaito succeeded in achieving his ancestor's greatest hope – the defeat of the Demon King.'**

**Marveling at the immense history lesson that visually played out for her, Sofia glanced over at Kami when he cleared his throat and shrugged at her as if to ask if she needed a break.**

**'Wow…I'm kind of blown away…oh! Wait – what happened to that jerk Katsumoto?! Did he really stay in power?' Sofia asked, and watched the landscape around her change to reveal a mutiny at a castle.**

**When she looked at the center of the chaos, she saw Katsumoto being carried out by his men. The warlord was thrashing and shouting in rage. 'Katsumoto did not rule very long – once it was discovered he was cheating his men out of the vast coffers they'd helped him steal. They also were spurned to find out he was planning on consolidating his power further for the sake of ruling with the same corrupt means as the shogunate had before him. Helped by the industrial lobbying of former imperial guardsmen—" Sofia saw as Teshimine and Masaki watched on their horses from the hill adjacent to the castle with their cadre of loyalists as the warlord was dragged out and paraded through the city as a traitor, 'the loyalist factions to the emperor were able to depose Katsumoto and industrialized the first move towards opening up Japan to the rest of the world. They became diplomats overseas and helped in changing the global dynamic between all the different lands. Instead of letting Katsumoto go out the way he wished, they threw him in a prison cell, and let him spend the rest of his days reflecting on the glory his destruction had brought to his enemies.'**

**'Whoa…' Sofia was in awe. 'Karma's a bitch~!' she added comically, earning an amused grunt from Kami.**

**'That it is,' he smiled. 'Is there anything else you're curious about?'**

**Sofia pondered for a moment. 'Oh yeah…Kyouran would take her pilgrimages to the mountains, but once I saw in a dream her refer to someone named Shido…but I don't think I can conjure up those memories on my own. Was he someone she trained with?' she inquired, pausing when he floated over to her in the astral space.**

**'Ah yes, I remember something about that. Would you allow me?' Kami asked, gesturing to her mind. 'I would need to guide you to those repressed memories.'**

**'Sure!' she retorted, and closed her eyes, letting her conscious sink and ebb to allow Kami to gain rapport with her. As they skimmed her mind, she felt him gingerly peruse her recesses until he located a bank of memories that were inherited from her past life. Accessing them, they both sunk into a particular sequence of memories Sofia was unaware existed.**

**She and Kami watched as a little girl with dark hair hung her head in a way to obscure and hide her expression from the adults that were conversing, idly caressing the facets of her garnet pendant as she listened to them talk about her. When she glanced up through the heavy shroud of dark locks, her red eyes fixed on the monk who called her name and soothingly waved her over. The skeptical demon child glared at her priestess handlers before walking over to the sage, who simply smiled at her and explained she would be staying at the monastery up in the snowy mountains to avoid the trappings of her transforming body becoming too unruly with the coming of her heat cycle. Scowling at the man, Kyouran allowed him to usher her into her icy quarters, where she would remain in spiritual and physical mediation until the cycle passed; a pilgrimage she'd have to make every time to avoid her baser nature.**

**The future demon warrior couldn't have been more than 10 years old, but she still had that disarming glare. Once she'd been left in her quarters, she promptly went to the ice-caked window and climbed out of it, not frightened by the steep fall or precarious landscape as she scaled the rock of the monastery to investigate her new confines. Finding a window that was shut with decorative glass, she dug her talon-like nails into the rock and scurried up to it before using her telekinesis to undo the clasp on the other side in order to gain entry into the room. Soundlessly closing the window to the howling winds outside, she glanced about the dimly lit room before sneaking over to a doorway and peeking out. She heard the playing of a wood and string instrument somewhere down the corridor. Intrigued by the sound, she edged down the hall, sticking to the shadows as to avoid detection. Once she found the source of the sound, she peered into the room and saw a young man, whose long graphite hair was obscuring his features as he played his shamisen with his head bowed, clearly lost to the rhythm as he strummed the ballad.**

**Bemused, Kyouran watched him for longer than she intended until he suddenly tossed his hair back and glanced up, pausing in his next strum when he saw burning red eyes staring at him. Blinking comically at her, the silver-eyed teen pouted, "Sounds that bad, huh."**

**Narrowing her gaze at him, Kyouran just bore her gaze at him before glancing down inquisitively at the instrument in his hands.**

**"Oh, this? Have you never seen a shamisen?" when she didn't answer, he leaned back and held it out to her. "Care to try it? I'm not great, but I could teach you some chords—"**

**"Are you imprisoned here too?"**

**Blinking at her with confusion, the young man laughed, his tone a gravelly tenor as he retorted, "Imprisoned?! I mean – I know it's not the warmest and most cheerful place, but I'd hardly call the monastery a prison—"**

**"You stupid humans; either all laughs to my face or cowering at the sight of me. If you're not a prisoner, and you're clearly not a monk, then why are you here?" the surly demon girl groused at him, crossing her arms tightly over her pendant and glaring at him judgmentally.**

**"Huh? Why do you think I'm not a monk?" the silver-eyed teen asked as he put his shamisen to the side and leaned forward on his bent knees.**

**In the blink of an eye, Kyouran was standing over him and tugging logically on his long graphite hair. "Because you're not _bald_ ," she remarked and gave another experimental tug, earning a yelp from the teen.**

**"Ack! I know _that_ , but do you have to tug on my hair?" he laughed, playfully squeezing her little hand to get her to release the chunk of hair she was tugging on. "I just meant to say you haven't even introduced yourself, and you're jumping to so many conclusions," he smiled up at her when she just blinked at him. "Ok, I'll start: I'm Shido. And your name is…?"**

**When he held her hand and shook it unselfconsciously, Kyouran stared at him for a moment before whispering, "Kyouran."**

**"Hi, Kyouran! It's very nice to meet you. See? Easy. Now we're friends," Shido smiled and continued to shake her hand before offering her a seat on a large pillow adjacent to him. "Take a load off. It's been a while since I've met anyone from the outside. Would you like me to teach you to play? Like I said, I'm not very good—"**

**"Shido-sama!"**

**Glancing up at the doorway, they saw a group of harried monks staring at them as if they were doing something forbidden.**

**"Uhhh…hi, guys! What's wrong? Saw a ghost?" the silver-eyed teen quipped before glancing over and seeing how Kyouran was now at the windowsill, crouched like a mistrustful animal that was being cornered. "Uh…Kyouran? No need to go out the window—"**

**"Shido-sama, this ward shouldn't be in your quarters. Come now, Kyouran—"**

**"Touch me, and lose your hand," the demon girl snarled, baring her fangs in warning before jumping out the window and taking flight, to the bemusement of the monks who rushed to the window and watched her fly up to the highest point of the monastery.**

**"Uhhh…okay, so that's so not cool of you, guys. You scared her off," the young God of the Mountain Range frowned, sitting up and adding in an admonishing tone, "Just because she's a girl doesn't mean you have to be all, like, uncool to her…"**

**The next memory showed how the young man went out of his way to seek her out, even climbing the precarious ladder up to the tower that was laden with icicles and snow piles once he reached the top. He found her shivering on the ledge of the tower, her arms huddled around her knees and head bowed as she withstood the howling baleful winds.**

**"I know demons run hot, but this is a little too cold, ain't it?" Kyouran jerked her head up and glared at the voice, before blinking and seeing it was the graphite-haired weird human. He was even smiling at her as he held something out to her. "Here – no need to freeze. If you don't want to come back down, at least put this on."**

**Reaching and snatching the fur-lined hooded cloak, Kyouran pulled it around herself. The relief she felt was palpable, her pendant's pulsing going dormant as she glanced back over at the shivering man with her burning red eyes, narrowing her gaze as she mused, "If you know I'm a demon, why're you being so nice?"**

**"If I answer that question, you gotta promise to come back down. I'm freezing my toes off over here!" he jovially offered. Nodding curtly, Kyouran phased to stand next to him and stared up at him as he answered, "I'm sorry if I weirded you out. I just think it's cool to have someone new to talk to, demon or otherwise."**

**Raising a skeptical brow, Kyouran diverted her gaze and went over to start climbing down the ladder. Smiling, Shido followed suit, and once they were back in the less-hostile section of the tower, the silver-eyed teen gestured for her to follow him down a corridor to a different wing of the monastery. She cautiously did so, hanging back several paces and eyeing him as if she was prepared for him to turn on her any minute.**

**When they reached an immense door, he opened it and revealed a sprawling library dimly lit by sconces and candlelight. "If you ever feel scared and want somewhere to go, you can come here. No one will bother you," he explained in his warm tenor, smiling when she wandered in and stared wide-eyed around at the tomes and treasures housed in the great hall.**

**"…why won't anyone bother me here?" Kyouran whispered and glanced up at him.**

**"This is my library. Only I have access to it, and no one else has my permission to visit it," Shido said in an authoritative tone, posing with his hands on his hips and trying to look austere, but only earned a snort from the demon girl. "What? Not serious enough?"**

**Shaking her head, Kyouran gave him a lopsided smirk. "Why do the other monks act like you're a big deal and don't have access to this place?"**

**Digging into his pocket and finding a fastening to tie back his long graphite hair, the silver-eye teen sighed and glanced to a giant wall tapestry that was displayed on the furthest side of the library. "Because of that," he gestured to the tapestry, and watched as Kyouran tossed the cloak on the nearest table to approach the wall with the tapestry to study it with her scrutinizing crimson gaze. The tapestry told a story, depicting a prophetic figure being borne to flesh and bone from the spirit realm, but who was destined to return to it – to become the protector of the sky and the mountains from the tyranny of man and the destruction of monsters. Blinking at the appearance of the figure, Kyouran couldn't help levitate upwards to stare harder at the woven countenance of the god depicted. The silver eyes were crafted from actual polished silver pieces, catching the light of the candles as they flickered in the room. The figure was donning robes similar to those Shido wore, except he looked more regal, and had the musculature of a warrior. Sweatdropping, Kyouran glanced back at the young teen, who was now posing in the same authoritative way as the figure in the tapestry. "I know. The resemblance is _uncanny_ , ain't it?" he quipped before crossing his arms and huffing an amused sigh. "That was woven by a psychic monk who lived hundreds of years ago. Basically, I'm that guy, but I haven't really done anything that special, so…"**

**Landing and walking back over to him, she stared openly up at his features, startling him when she grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him down to be nose to nose with her. Searching his wide silver eyes, Kyouran seemed to find what she was looking for. "You do have a different spiritual energy than most humans. I don't know what a 'god' is supposed to be to mortals, really, but I guess you'll do," she mused in her stoic tone before letting go of his tunic and strolling away to look at the rest of the library.**

**Grunting at that, Shido righted his tunic and watched her; unable to prevent his smile when she found an alcove with his back up shamisen and picked it up inquisitively.**

**Kami and Sofia stumbled onto a string of memories that showed Kyouran and Shido's friendship blossoming over the time she was secluded in the monastery, up until the day she was retrieved by her priestess handlers and returned to the village. She had glanced over her shoulder and watched as Shido snuck around the corner to offer her a farewell wave, his mirth cresting his eyes when she meekly smiled and shook her head ruefully at him. The next time she returned to the monastery, she was not flanked by her handlers, and was no longer the child she'd been previously. Now grown to the physical maturity of a 15 year old, Kyouran had blossomed from the terse and hostile demon girl to a pubescent young woman, her hourglass figure and feminine curves obvious under her plain priestess warrior garments. The monks had marveled at her transformation, but knew better than to approach her as she whisked her way past them to ascend the numerous flights of stairs first for Shido's plain quarters among the basic lodgings of the devout men, but when she found it empty, she sprinted with her otherworldly speed up to the tower, where she barreled through the library doors, shocking Shido with the sudden arrival that he fell backwards from his chair, and caused a bunch of books he had stacked next to him to topple over him.**

**"Hey! No one is allowed in here without my permission!" he raised his hand authoritatively free from the stack of books as he bellowed, earning a snicker from Kyouran as she rolled her eyes.**

**"No matter how many times you say that, I won't ever take it serious, God of the Northern Mountain Range."**

**Blinking, the silver-eyed young man pushed himself free of the books and dusted himself off before glancing over at the young woman standing with her arms crossed and gazing at him. Her crimson eyes burned with mischief, and were his main sources of realization to her identity, after the uncanny necklace with the bloodstone that hung around her slender neck. "…Kyouran?" he balked as he glanced at her quizzically before comically rushing over and inspecting her new teenage form. She was now as tall as him, but her features were fierce and feminine – not the round and surly child-like countenance he'd said farewell to. "Whoa…" he mused and poked her between her brows as he drawled, "Look who grew up and got all tall. Won't be pulling me down to glare at me anymore, huh."**

**Slapping his hand away, the teenage Kyouran mused, "It's not my fault humans have stunted growth cycles. But poke me like that again, and I'll send you to the god realm ahead of schedule."**

**Pouting comically, Shido drawled, "You know I hate it when you call me that—"**

**"It's your title. Silly humans like assigning titles to that which they revere or fear," Kyouran mused dismissively.**

**"Is that a fact, miss Oni Hakaisha?" he drawled and wiggled his brows at her. "I prefer calling you Kyouran. So c'mon – no titles amongst friends, okay?"**

**Crossing her arms, she gave a curt nod, but was unable to submerge the small smirk that pulled her soft lips.**

**The two friends fell back into their camaraderie of before, except with one small change. Kyouran would stare at him longer than she understood the purpose of, or found herself wondering what it would be like to be embraced by him. The perplexing impulsive thoughts aggravated her, but she ignored them, until her last night of her pilgrimage.**

**"So, I'm guessing next time, you'll be a full-blown woman," Shido had drawled in that gravelly tone she found appealing, stirring her from her book. He was sitting in his favorite spot of the library, idly tuning his shamisen when she glanced over at him. His silver eyes were warm, gazing at her platonically, but his smile caused an alien sensation to stir in her chest. "It's kind of a bummer, because then you'll be physically as mature as me, and you're already mentally more mature than me; not a cool place for a god to be," he goofed, shaking his head with mock forlornness. "Just no fair~!"**

**Going to sit next to him, Kyouran stared at him with an odd twinkle in her eyes. His growth into maturity had been muted and less discernible as hers; spending short periods of seclusion in the monastery, it was seldom that she'd notice how he'd changed as well. His high cheekbones were now complimented by the chiseled edge of his jaw, brows thicker, and the curves of his lips set on a more masculine edge, while his shoulders were broader and his frame seemed more muscular than she really remembered. Shido's eyes were still wide and bright though, flickering with warm affection at her when she reached for the shamisen and started playing it. He smirked and watched her as her long fingers strummed and plucked the strings with expert practice.**

**"Will you ever leave this place?"**

**The question confused Shido, so he reached for her hand and ceased it's playing, causing her to gaze into his eyes. "You know I can't leave…" he mused, the serene edge of his tone obscuring the sadness he hid from her. "I've been here since I was a kid. It's my destiny to remain here—"**

**"But that's what _they_  have told you. How do you know—why do you let them decide what your destiny is?" Kyouran cut in, her eyes flaring turbulently as she set the shamisen aside and leaned forward to whisper, "These humans…all they tell you is how you're  _meant_ to do something to protect them and their way of life. Why can't you just live your life?"**

**Sighing, Shido averted his gaze. "It's not that simple, Kyouran. Ultimately, destinies only come true because of what people choose to do. I've chosen to be here; to learn from this library and become stronger spiritually in order to achieve what I'm supposed to—"**

**"You're not _supposed_ to do anything. Fine…you've chosen this, but why?" she interjected, gaze glowing with bewilderment and incomprehension as her pendant began to flare dimly.**

**Smiling sadly at her, Shido reached for her and caressed her cheek, causing her to stiffen and stare into his open expression. He trailed his fingertips to the back of her neck and pulled her close, planting a kiss on her forehead before musing, "I want to become stronger, and surpass the frailties of this body to instead reach a glorious place where I can protect this land and everyone in it from darkness. I don't see my remaining here as a sacrifice," he paused, gazing into her eyes before adding in a warm tone, "But that doesn't mean I don't cherish being with you, or wonder what it'd be like if we were just two beings free of our responsibilities…"**

**Pulling away, Kyouran's necklace began to pulsate over her winter tunic, her anger palpable as she hissed, "You're a fool! Don't placate me with your sentimental drivel, and don't act like you care for me beyond being the aberration to your lonely and contrived existence here. And don't ever conflate your ridiculous sense of obligation with my subjugation here again!"**

**With that, she stormed out of the library, and left the next day without a farewell, unbelievably angry and perplexed by why his words had stricken her so.**

**It wasn't until her eventual return that she found herself feeling foolish for her outburst and wondered if Shido would still grant her access to his presence.**

**This time, when she entered the library, she found him at the wide glass-stained windows, reading a book in the rare rays of sunlight that were flickering through the panes. Standing there stoically, she waited until he acknowledged her presence, thinking he was pointedly drawing it out, until he yawned and stretched before freezing and yelping in surprise. "For gods' sakes! How long have you been there?!" he bellowed in shock, before flinching and blinking at her. "…Kyouran?"**

**Narrowing her eyes conspiratorially at him, she drawled, "For the God of the Northern Mountain Range, your powers of observation are quite lacking. Shouldn't you be using your spiritual powers to discern things already?"**

**Staring at her, Shido slowly turned and contemplated her before tossing his book aside and advancing towards her. Before Kyouran could react, he'd pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her frame against his. "I'm sorry I upset you," he whispered against her temple. Kyouran absently stood there as he embraced her, not sure how to reciprocate the gesture. When he pulled away to gaze into her eyes, he mused, "I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again before—" he paused, changing the subject, "I'm glad to see you again."**

**Staring into his silver eyes, it took Kyouran a moment to register he was still embracing her before she firmly pushed him away, but let her hands linger on his biceps as she quietly assessed the latest changes he'd matured into. Hair pulled back, his features looked more regal-yet-rugged now – defined jaw and easy smile appealing to her, as did his strong muscular frame, hidden by his dark austere tunic.**

**Coughing to clear her throat, Kyouran used it as an excuse to step away from him and glance sidelong at him. "I had to come. Couldn't be avoided…" she muttered and avoided his irreverent smile by turning to leave to go to her icy quarters.**

**Slowly, she'd allowed her guard to lower and eventually found herself returning to the library once the isolation of her cold quarters had numbed her for days. Shido gave her space, glancing at her from the corner of his eye every so often when she roamed about the stacks and caressed the tomes thoughtfully. Putting down his book, he watched her peruse absently and realized she was too willful to break the ice. When she seemed to give up and loped towards the exit, he faintly smiled.**

**"You look beautiful."**

**Pausing, she slightly turned to glance with skeptically narrowed red eyes at him. He was standing in that damnable pose of his – hands on his hips and broad shoulders back; head tilted casually over at her, as if expectant for her vicious retort.**

**Instead, she groused, "And you're no longer scrawny. Which reminds me…" she turned and loped back over to him, pointedly leaning into his space to gaze analytically into his eyes.**

**"Uhhh…" he blinked at her as she continued her scrutinizing, before she suddenly poked him between his brows and earned a fidget from him.**

**"You feel different…" she mused, leaning closer to sniff him, earning a blush and sweatdrop from the supposed divine figure before she announced, "And you smell different. What have you been doing?"**

**"Uhh, that's kind of a personal thing to ask, Kyouran—" he began chuckling and waving the topic away dismissively before she slapped his hand away and started circling him like a predator assessing her prey.**

**"No. You've changed. Your spiritual energy is off the charts, but your physical power is different as well. It's almost like…" she paused, pondering to figure it out when he turned to track her train of thought.**

**Suddenly, there was a tremor that coursed through the monastery, causing them to waver in place as tomes and objects feel from shelves and tables around them. A loud bell began to chime somewhere in the distance, before they began to hear people calling for Shido.**

**Rushing out of the library with Kyouran in toe, Shido went down the corridor and ascended the ladder to the tower's perch, going over and peering through the haze of the mountain above to watch a mass of something moving and descending through the snow ridges towards the monastery.**

**Going to stand at his side, Kyouran's sharp gaze realized the advancing force were creatures she hadn't encountered before. They looked reptilian but had an exoskeleton of plated hide, with serrated talons and yellow eyes narrowed above short muzzles. Their raucous advance was causing banks of snow to slide off the mountainside to crash into the foundation of the monastery's stone summit.**

**"It's time," Shido announced, turning to Kyouran and smiling sadly at her as he stated, "I have to go. Please don't interfere, my friend. I have to handle this on my own."**

**Perplexed, Kyouran watched as Shido closed his eyes and began to glow a warm white aura before he slowly ascended from the perch into the blustery windy sky, hovering in place before concentrating his energy in his clasped palms. Dumbfounded, she watched him begin to pulsate with a divine power, not even aware of the rush of monks that had now climbed the tower to join her as a spectating bystander. She was too focused on trying to sense his power, and finding herself unable to comprehend why it was so different than anything she'd ever come across.**

**The creatures halted in their tactics to stare fearfully up at Shido's brilliant form as he harnessed all his internal power into his hands and blasted them out in a resplendent energy field that annihilated them, turning the creatures to stone on the spot and succeeding in stopping the horde as well as melting away the snow that had once covered the main mountain peak north of the monastery's summit.**

**Everyone on the tower were in awe of the feat, while Kyouran was too busy watching something change in Shido before he faltered and began to plummet out of the sky. Gasps went up in horror for him. Before he hit the ground, Kyouran phased in mid air and caught him, breaking his fall.**

**"Shido!" she shouted, rolling him onto his back so she could assess his injuries.**

**Coughing, the silver-eyed man rolled onto his side and continued to be racked with the violent after effects of his divine intervention before absently wiping at his mouth. "I'm fine, don't worry," he croaked to Kyouran and waved her away.**

**She saw the spatter of blood wiped on the back of his hand. After a terse pause, Kyouran stared at his wide back, struggling to deal with the inner turmoil of her realization.**

**"You're sick…" she tersely announced.**

**Sighing, Shido glanced sidelong at her before trying to stand to his feet, and wavering. He caught himself, and stood, staring down at her as he smiled sadly.**

**"I told you…I had to surpass the frailties of this body," he whispered, wavering now on his feet. Kyouran caught him and helped prop him up to stand. Tossing his arm over her shoulders, she flew them back to the monastery. Once she'd gotten him into his humble bed, she kneeled next to him and waited patiently until he recovered from his wavering and could focus his wide silver eyes on her again. "No matter how hard I trained and how much my spiritual energy grew to its divine level, my body isn't strong enough to keep my spirit latched to this corporeal realm…" he mustered in a gravelly tone, eyes hooded as he took a deep breath and continued. "That horde was destined to descend on the monastery and wipe everyone out. They were going to take over this land, and use it as a base from which they would descend on the rest of the country. I've…completed my destiny…so I am glad."**

**Staring turbulently at him, Kyouran's stoic regard was only betrayed by her furrowing brows, as they knitted together in conflict.**

**"You are remarkable, my friend. I've been able to hide my physical decline…but couldn't hide it from you," Shido croaked before being seized by another coughing fit.**

**Kyouran watched helplessly as he coughed up dark blood-laced spittle, before gasping for air. She looked over her shoulder and saw how many monks were huddled in the doorway of his quarters. The looks on their faces were grief personified.**

**"You're going to die."**

**Shido's breathing was shallow as he glanced up at her. He watched as her eyes trembled, unfocused as they stared down at the blood on the back of his hand. Reaching up to her, he pulled her down by the front of her tunic so she could be nose to nose with him. "Yeah. But please. You're too beautiful to be sad, Kyouran," he rasped and smiled cheekily at her, his mirth cresting his eyes and softening his masculine features. His grip faltered, hand trailing down to hold hers as he whispered, "I'm glad to have seen you again."**

**Her eyes went wide as her predatory senses realized his heart rate was slowing. At a loss, the demon warrior stared with deep conflict etched in her crimson depths at the divine human vessel before her.**

**Shido weakly squeezed her hand before softly declaring, "Thank you for being my friend. I was very lonely for a long time. Meeting you and having you in my life, no matter how brief, made me less afraid to do what I had to do…"**

**Staring into his softened expression, Kyouran watched as he blinked slowly up at her and smiled, taking one last breath before his bright eyes began to cloud over and go blank; the spark of life leaving them as his body went slowly limp and his head lulled to the side.**

**The dimly lit room began to glow red from the vibrant pulsating of her pendant, as she remained rooted next to him, staring at his peaceful countenance. Letting go of his hand, she sat and stared at his countenance for a long time before reaching her trembling fingers up to caress his cheek. His skin had grown cold. She was bemused and overwhelmed, but her features didn't show it. When she finally registered the sound of weeping coming from the hall, Kyouran slowly stood and wandered away from her bedside vigil to go and stalk absently down the corridor, the monks in mourning parting to allow her exit.**

**When his funeral pyre was lit, she watched with painful stoicism etched on her features. Her eyes were glued to his profile as the flames began to rise and lick his body, fed by the hungry and cold wind that kicked up around the funeral site. That peaceful smile of his still remained on his features, pinging in her the impression that his whole life had boiled down to this moment. Once the flames overtook the pyre, obscuring his form, Kyouran turned and phased out, running away from the scene until she was far from the monastery and surrounded only by ice, snow, and violent winds. Falling to her knees, she dug her nails into the cold snow and bit back the turbulent pain that welled in the back of her throat before driving itself down to her chest. The sob she heard was foreign and bizarre. Slowly, she realized it came from her once her vision blurred over. Curling up and falling to her side, the powerful warrior buried her face in the snow, letting the cold numb her as she struggled with the incomprehensible feelings battling inside of her.**

**"Why didn't you tell me…?" she suddenly wept, huddling herself and allowing the emotional pain to overtake her as she wished for the cold to numb her out.**

**The howling wind suddenly died down, causing her surroundings to go eerily quiet. Sensing something, she struggled to uncurl herself and stare about. Looking up, she saw the moon for the first time in the harsh and cold night sky. She stared wide eye as the sky began to be filled with soft, fluttering snowflakes that descended slowly and danced around her languidly. Blinking, she closed her eyes and allowed her spiritual energy to sense out what she'd felt before.**

**"…Shido?"**

**A soft breeze answered her, picking up the wayward snowflakes to spiral and dance around her.**

**Staring, she watched the delicate flurries fall around her before looking up and watching as the moon glowed silver down at her. Realizing her grief was misplaced, Kyouran tilted her face upwards and let the snowflakes land on her skin before muttering, "God of the Northern Mountain Range, huh?"**

**The flurries whirled around her and the breeze suddenly howled overhead. Closing her eyes, Kyouran snickered, before lowering back down to lay on her back to stare up at the moon in the sky as the flurries continued to dance around her.**

**"You accomplished what you wanted…" she breathed, eyes fluttering as the wind caressed her form. "You're in a glorious place…free of your frail mortal coil. Now I'm truly alone again…"**

**Kami glanced over at Sofia, and saw as her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears at the scene. They watched as Kyouran eventually returned to the monastery, going into the library and learning Shido had left her a piece of parchment. In it, he explained that since childhood, he knew his body wouldn't be able to withstand the growing divine spiritual energy his soul could conjure, and that upon his death, he hoped she would remember their friendship; even ended the letter by cheekily declaring, "My library is yours, but if you want to give people permission to use it, that's cool too." Once she'd finished reading his message, Kyouran had declared that she would never return to the monastery, and told the bravest monk who gave the parchment to her that she had no need for the library. Telling him dismissively to let anyone use it who so wished to, she departed the austere site and wandered into the frozen wilderness of the mountain range, resuming her lonely existence while still cherishing the fleetingly brief moments she'd shared with Shido. After that day, her pilgrimages to the North were in complete isolation – no respite from the harsh winter conditions, but she bore the hostile terrain with relative ease, thanks to her friend's protection from beyond the spiritual realm, as the God of the Northern Mountain Range.**

**Not soon after the events at the monastery, she'd returned to the priestess village and eventually saved little Mekareh, who'd become her second friend in her entirely short-lived existence. Her reticence about befriending the little girl had kept her cold and aloof, but deep down, she recognized that Shido's influence had been the only thing that could've softened her to have empathy, as well as reluctant affection for the young girl.**

**Watching as the recollections slowly ebbed away and back into dormancy, Sofia and Kami were able to wander back from the astral journey back into their consciousness. Glancing across the table after her eyes fluttered opened, Sofia squeezed Kami's hand as she gratefully bowed her head.**

**"Thank you for showing me, Kami. I feel really at peace—needed to know all that in order to leave it in the past," she sighed thoughtfully before smiling at the sage.**

**"It was my honor, Sofia. I've struggled with the thought of not giving Kyouran the closure she's entitled to. I'm glad I was able to help you both in the long run," he mused and returned her smile kindly.**

**Nodding pensively, Sofia glanced over to idly watch as the first rays of sunrise began to glow in the horizon, sending resplendent hues to shimmer across the sky over the Lookout.**

**"I don't know what to do now."**

**Gaze intensifying on her, Kami smiled. "How about you have some coffee in the meantime?"**

**Blinking over at him, she whirled to glance over at Mr. Popo, who had just arrived up the walkway with a tray carrying tea and coffee, his ever-present smile on his ebony features as he casually walked over and joined them. "Good morning, Kami. It's so nice to see you, Sofia! I thought you both could use something warm and pleasant to start off your morning," the genie remarked jovially as he served them their drinks.**

**Shaking her head ruefully with a silly grin, Sofia retorted, "Have I told you both how you're two of the best dudes ever?"**

**The longtime friends laughed at that. Sitting together to enjoy their beverages, the 3 starkly different beings appreciated the quality time over idle chatter as dawn began to slowly advance across the sky.**


	23. Twin Stars

**"Speech" 'Telepathy' _Thought_**

**The early morning sky looked like a kaleidoscope of wonder to her as she watched the twinkling of stars dissolve from the sun's rays reaching further across the horizon to claim the day for itself. Sighing, Sofia watched from her lounging position on the edge of the Lookout as clouds began to glow with the warmth of daylight. She had excused herself and went off to wander the grounds of the massive castle in the sky as her thoughts about the future and the wandering concerns of past events still plagued her mind.**

**Kami had watched her from his vantage point in the tower, knowing a moment of quiet was necessary for her after the whirlwind of decisions and discoveries she'd made in such a short period of time.**

**It wasn't until she went to sit at the edge of the Lookout that he wondered if there was anything else weighing her thoughts.**

**Staring sideways at the sky, Sofia sighed and let her arm dangle off of the edge, completely unafraid of the fall that awaited her.**

**"Penny for your thoughts?"**

**Pausing, she glanced around over her shoulder, and saw Kami approaching her, his placid smile earning a meek smirk from her before she spun around to stand upside down on her hands and teeter back precariously close to the edge.**

**"I figured you'd just read my thoughts and skip asking," she mused after flipping high in the air to land gracefully in front of him.**

**Sweating and coughing self-consciously at that, Kami cleared his throat before dismissively waving her assertion off. "Nonsense! I've come to learn that it's quite rude to wander into people's thoughts without their knowledge. And anyway, I do enjoy conversing with you," he laughed sincerely, adding, "Now, there's something still bothering you."**

**"Hmph, what gave me away?" Sofia mused. "Besides my loitering about…"**

**"Well that, and since you've made the decision to stay in this realm, I'm sure you're concerned about the future state of events being affected by your presence," Kami shrugged, adding musingly, "So, come now. Talking it through might make you feel better."**

**Smirking wryly at that, she crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one leg. "You sure you didn't just read my mind and pick all that up?" she quipped.**

**Chuckling in a silly tone, Kami declared, "Honest!"**

**Dropping her arms to her sides, she relented. "I've been worried for a while about the course of things changing for the worse cuz of my just being here. Some stuff that happened before Goku got back to Earth…they weren't part of the natural sequence of events. My having to intervene to distract King Cold to stop my premonition from coming true really unnerved me…what if more stuff like that happens? I just don't know how much I should…I don't know, _be_  part of. I don't want to make things worse…"**

**Pondering, Kami wandered over to stand beside her, glancing ahead at the skyline before replying, "What makes you different than the future traveler then?"**

**Brows furrowing, Sofia answered, "He's from this dimension. I'm not—so my involvement in events could be detrimental—"**

**"But how could it be any more different than the boy coming from a future beset with tragedy to a timeline he intended to alter? Sure, he didn't plan on intervening with Frieza and his father, but surely that was more consequential than what you did. After all, you have the advantage of knowing exactly what is to occur, so you know when to precisely intervene," the elder mused, giving her a glance when she looked away thoughtfully. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be concerned…but I don't think you should let it consume your thoughts. Sofia," he spoke, turning to regard her fully as he continued, "you're a conscientious person who is trying her best to do the right thing. That doesn't make you any more of a liability than anyone else."**

**Smiling wistfully at him, Sofia crossed her arms again and huffed in relief. "Thanks, Kami…I'll try not to spazz out, and just go with the flow." When the guardian of Earth nodded, she was suddenly reminded of something.**

**Seeing her eyes become unfocused, his countenance sobered. "Is there something else you're worried about?"**

**"Well…I'm not sure. It's just a couple of times, I saw the same kind of vision," she mused, her eyes squinting as she tried to recall it in detail. "I don't know why…but it's kind of faint, I just remember…seeing Kyouran, or maybe it was me…and a brand of something going up my skin…but it was more like a marking that came from within?" shaking her head bemusedly, she dismissed her description. "Never mind. It must've just been some weird hallucination thing. I can't even remember what even caused it," she remarked and smiled sheepishly at him. "I've taken up so much of your time with my neurotic worries."**

**"Not at all. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always at your service," the elder Namek smiled. "The Lookout is a place you can come to in your time of need. Popo and I always enjoy the company, after all."**

**Grinning, Sofia teetered on her heels and chimed, "Well in that case, when can I come and get some training?! Nothing like learning some sweet battle skills from the O.G. himself."**

**Laughing warmly, Kami knowingly looked across the expansive courtyard and smirked, "While that would be most interesting, I'm not sure he'd like losing you to my tutelage."**

**"Huh?" Sofia tilted her head in confusion at him before turning to glance at whom he was smugly smirking at.**

**Piccolo was stoically approaching them from the outer circumference of the courtyard, having landed at the Lookout a few moments before Sofia had sheepishly smiled at the elder Namek. His cape was fluttering with his long strides, the scowl slowly crossing his features as he gave Kami a sharp glare before boring his intense gaze on her.**

**Sweatdropping, Sofia sidestepped to lean over to Kami as she mumbled, "Jeez, he's always got the daggers for you."**

**"That he does," Kami huffed.**

**Shaking her head ruefully at that, she muttered, "Man, he's so sexy when he looks all surly like that…" she snickered, then added, "I was all up in my thoughts and feelings that I didn't sense him coming. So much for staying sharp—"**

**"Oh, he cloaked his ki. I told him you were here and to not make a brash arrival, but didn't tell him why, which could account for the glaring," Kami interjected simply, shrugging when Sofia balked at him.**

**"Ooo, Kami, you instigator," Sofia drawled mischievously.**

**'Why the hell do I have to hear this old goat ordering me around instead of hearing from you?!' was the growled telepathic snap Sofia received when Piccolo came up to stand in front of them and moodily crossed his arms.**

**'Uh…well, you see—'**

**"Good morning, Piccolo. So nice of you to come by," Kami serenely retorted, unbothered by the younger Namek's surly regard.**

**"You got a lot of nerve telling me what to do, old man," Piccolo groused, now glowering at his elder counterpart before sliding his intense gaze at Sofia. "So what's got you sneaking out in the dead of night to come up here?"**

**"Oh, Sofia!" Everyone turned to look at Mr. Popo, who was waving them down as he rushed over. "Before you head off, don't forget your satchel," the ebony genie called out and held her backpack out in front of him as he arrived.**

**"Oh man, I'm totally spaced out today! Thanks so much, Mr. Popo," she pleasantly retorted as she tugged the small backpack onto one shoulder. Turning towards Piccolo, she answered, "Remember what I told you last night? Well…it's tomorrow, and I decided."**

**Onyx gaze focusing intently on her, Piccolo dropped his arms to his sides. "You're staying?"**

**Smiling sheepishly, she murmured, "Yes. I already went back. I packed some more of my things; left a note…it's a done deal."**

**Glancing at Kami, Piccolo mused, "Let me guess. You were having a neurotic spazz out, and that's why you hung around here."**

**"Hey! C'mon, give me a little credit—"**

**"She did, but there's no reason to mock her conscientiousness, Piccolo," Kami admonished, steamrolling over Sofia's silly denial, and earning a sweatdrop from the red-eyed woman.**

**"Thanks, Kami," she impishly snapped, eyes becoming narrowed dots as she leaned back on her heels and huffed. "Anyway, there were still some questions I had that Kami was nice enough to answer, so that took up a good chunk of why I was here, ok, bossy pants?"**

**Rolling his eyes, Piccolo muttered sardonically, "Did that include you telling him any of our private stuff?"**

**Pursing her lips at that, Sofia chimed, "Nah, that was separate."**

**"Feh," he huffed, moodily giving her a once over before realizing she was pulling his leg. "Well if you're quite through, let's get going," he acerbically muttered and was about to turn and stalk off, but was thwarted when Sofia grabbed his hand.**

**"Thanks again for everything, Kami. Is it ok if I leave it here? I don't see the point in me taking it with me," Sofia asked Kami and ignored Piccolo's tense glance, squeezing his hand affectionately as a silent response instead.**

**"Yes. The mirror shall remain where it is. Now, go on and enjoy this glorious day, you two," the guardian of Earth offered and waved once she gave a curt nod and started walking away and pulling Piccolo in toe, who set his jaw broodingly about showing public displays of affection in front of his damnable elder counterpart.**

**"Bye, Mr. Popo!" she offered merrily and waved in farewell to the jovial genie as they made their way back towards the Lookout edge that pointed in the direction of the east.**

**Squeezing her hand, Piccolo grumbled, "We gotta work on quelling your PDA."**

**Rolling her eyes, she turned and sidled up to him seductively and purred, "Why? Are you embarrassed of how much I love you and want to make it known?"**

**Blushing violet, Piccolo encircled her waist and deliberately held her in place against him, barking, "No I'm not! But flaunting it in front of the old goat just annoys me. Such a smug, supercilious, snide—"**

**Leaning up to kiss him, she cut his berate off and earned a grunt from him.**

**Pulling away coquettishly, she drawled coolly, "It's just hand holding and kissing, silly. Not like he's gonna watch us get hot and heavy."**

**Flinching at that, Piccolo shook the urge to sweatdrop off and snapped, "Ugh, let's _not_  even go there."**

**Laughing, Sofia let him take the lead, relishing the squeeze he gave her hand before they gazed out on the sprawling cloud-covered sky before hopping off the Lookout and taking flight, heading in the direction of Mt. Paozu; flying side by side as they jetted through the sky.**

* * *

 

**As soon as Sofia landed in the front yard, Goku and Gohan rushed out of the house, with an admonishing Chi-Chi in toe.**

**"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late—"**

**Just as Goku and Gohan were coming up to greet her, they were both unceremoniously shoved aside by a stern-faced Chi-Chi.**

**"And just WHERE have you been?" Chi-Chi snapped, her hands on her hips and foot tapping impatiently while Goku giggled nervously and Gohan glanced expectantly at Sofia.**

**"Sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble. It's just—well, after giving it a lot of thought yesterday, I decided to go up to Kami's and ask him for some advice," she explained, quelling everyone's demeanor as they focused on her next statement. "I went back to my dimension and…well, I made it official. I'm staying permanently here—well, I don't mean permanently here at your house, but I'm not going back to my realm—" Sofia's ramble was cut off as Gohan and Chi-Chi suddenly rushed her and hugged her happily, cheering.**

**"Yay! I'm so glad, Sofia!"**

**"Don't be silly! You can stay here however long you need to!"**

**Smiling, Goku came up and put his hand on her shoulder. "We're really happy you're making our dimension home for real, Sofia," the congenial hero beamed, giving her his most cheerful expression as he added, "Now you'll definitely have the time to train that technique of yours and teach me how to do it!"**

**Laughing, Sofia gave him a wry smile and nodded. "Oh yeah. And that won't be the only technique I'll be working on, so get ready!" she challenged with an irreverent giggle.**

**"So, I take it she's decided to stay in this dimension for good?"**

**Everyone turned towards Piccolo, who was casually leaning against the side of the house with his arms crossed, offering them a sidelong glance.**

**"Hey, Piccolo! Yep – Sofia's gonna stay in our dimension. Isn't that great?" Gohan cheerfully retorted and happily rushed over to his friend.**

**Smiling inwardly, Sofia gave him a fond glance as he patted Gohan on the head and offered him a curt nod. "Good. Now if you're all done celebrating, let's get our training going," he mused in his cool baritone.**

**"Sure thing! But first, I'm starving," Goku chortled, rushing over to the house with Chi-Chi ruefully shaking her head and following him. "C'mon, Sofia – you gotta eat too!"**

**Snickering, she loped over to the house and followed Gohan, who skipped through the door excitedly, ready to conquer breakfast. As she passed Piccolo, she gave him a wink before phasing towards the door. "Alright, save me some toast and don't eat off my plate, Goku!" tossing her hair behind her shoulder, she glanced back at him from the doorway and said, "I'll bring you some nice cold water to drink. Sound good?"**

**Nodding yes, Piccolo also telepathically mused, 'And behave yourself when you come bring it, alright?'**

**Giving him an alluring glance as she wandered into the house, she purred, 'I can't make any promises.'**

* * *

 

**It was rare for Goku to sit on the sidelines of a fierce sparring session, but for once he wasn't complaining about having to wait his turn. From his vantage point in the shady grove on the desolately forested island, the two warriors looked like they were in a blistering battle; he was none the wiser that the two twin stars were actually enjoying themselves even if it appeared like a bruising tit-for-tat match.**

**"Sofia's style is really hard to anticipate, huh," Gohan piped up in distracted wonder, eyes glued to the fight.**

**"I'll say. It's great. Almost like it's ingrained in her DNA to constantly alter and shift techniques. From here, it looks like Piccolo's still one step ahead of her though," the wide-eyed hero mused and crossed his arms, head still craned upwards as the mid-air spar zigzagged above them on the clear tropical day.**

**Piccolo phased out of the way of her roundhouse kick, but didn't dodge quick enough to avoid her next punch. Recovering quickly, he did manage to avoid her next crane-palm jab that would've doubled him over with pain and countered by blasting her back with a well-aimed Masenko-ha.**

**'Ohhhh, you're gonna get it!' Sofia taunted with a fiery edge in her tone after she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and phased back down to be floating across from him.**

**'Heh,' he snickered, smirking at her when he tossed off his weighted gear, clear indication he'd only been getting warmed up.**

**Not one to be one-upped, Sofia lifted her shirt and pulled off the weighted corset that was around her waist to let it drop thunderously down to the ground along with the booming thuds of his gear.**

**"Oh boy, now it's gonna get good," Goku cheered with glee over at Gohan, who was nodding in agreement.**

**The ensuing clash actually caused an air mass to reverberate violently overhead, stirring the palms to waver violently. Sofia and Piccolo's strikes caused firework-like flashes to blitz across the sky, their shouts and battle cries obscured by the ferocity of their speed and blasting energy fields.**

**Sofia's speed was always ascending leaps and bounds, but today she was in true form. Piccolo could all but fend her blitz attacks before she'd phase in and out of sight. It wasn't until she went to tackle him from behind that he managed to spin and catch her in a bear hug, tightening his grip around her and causing her to thrash violently. 'Gotcha!' he husked, smirking in her face when she blinked up at him.**

**"Whoa!" Goku and Gohan both gasped, impressed with Piccolo's unorthodox way of neutralizing Sofia's insane speed attacks.**

**'So, what was I gonna get?' he chuckled cockily at her over their rapport, his eyes narrowing in that gloating way of his as he squeezed his arms around her for good measure.**

**He expected to see her eyes flash with that competitive zeal, or even anger at his boasting, but instead, he watched as slowly a Cheshire cat grin pulled across her lips, showing off her wicked fangs as she suddenly pulled her legs up and wedged them between their torsos nimbly. Using the soles of her feet, she pressed them against his abdomen before kicking free of his grip to spin in the air gracefully and twist her body in order to snap her ankles around him in a headlock, using the momentum to propel him like a spinning corkscrew down to the ground.**

**Pulling himself dizzily out of the ground, Piccolo shook of his disorientation to watch her phase over across from him before giving him the peace sign. 'Yer gonna get a spankin', babe,' she teased goofily before phasing back out and appearing in front of Goku and Gohan, who were yards away.**

**Blinking up at her, the father and son duo marveled at her counter maneuver. "Hey, so while I was spinning in the air totally shocking and awing Piccolo, I found myself thinking about something. I know we should spend the whole day sparring, but I think it's something we definitely need to take care of," Sofia offered in a quipping tone.**

**"We're in the middle of a spar session that definitely _isn't_  over, Sofia!" Piccolo shouted over at them as he stood and dusted himself off.**

**"Yeah it is!" she shot back over her shoulder before continuing smoothly, "I just think it's an important endeavor to get done and out of the way, and today might be a good day to start working towards it."**

**Standing, Goku gave her that openly wide-eyed expression of his as he hummed in rapt attention. "I mean – if you think it's important, I don't see why we can't take a break from training for the day," he retorted soberly. "Plus, you totally beat Piccolo. We saw it," the Saiyan comically leaned over and whispered conspiratorially to her, his hand up to shield his mouth so Piccolo couldn't read his lips.**

**"I HEARD that! And she did NOT beat me," Piccolo shouted tersely, stalking over to the group as he added gruffly, "She paused in the middle of the fight. No way does that count as _beating_  me."**

**Goku just chuckled in that irreverent way of his as he nervously scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Sure, Piccolo. It's a time out in the fight that'll be continued," Goku chirped good-naturedly while Gohan stifled his giggles and sneakily gave Sofia a high-five behind his dad. "Anyway – what do we gotta prepare for?" he inquired over at Sofia when she slid back over to stand between the two taller fighters.**

**"Ah. It's another kind of training. One you two are definitely in desperate need of," she declared matter-of-factly, placing her hands at her hips as she gave them an appraising glance before adding, "The fate of our upcoming ability to get ready successfully for the coming Android threat rests on completing this endeavor…"**

* * *

 

**"I can't believe you talked us into this."**

**"Oh c'mon, guys. I wasn't kidding; getting this done and out of the way is definitely necessary so we can continue training unbothered. Plus – you gotta learn the basics and practice _before_  we take the test."**

**Balking at the two arguing fighters, Goku crossed his arms and tilted his head comically. "Wait. You're gonna take the driving test too, Sofia?"**

**Glancing at Goku, she chirped, "Yep! After all, if I'm gonna be here permanently, I'm definitely gonna have to drive a car—"**

**"No you're not! And neither do we," Piccolo glowered, stalking over to tower over Goku as he snapped, "Do me a favor and remind her that we can _fly_ , so learning to drive a stupid car is completely asinine!"**

**Scoffing dramatically, Sofia teetered on her heels and tossed her hands up in the air. "It's NOT asinine! Look – while you might not need to, Goku definitely does or else he'll permanently be in the doghouse. Since I'm going for it, I think it's only fair you try again too. And anyway," she cut in before Piccolo could begin his next protest, and gestured towards the hover car parked in the front yard under the cheerfully sunny early afternoon as she added, "Ox King visiting today is the perfect opportunity to do some real practicing. He was even nice enough to offer his car up, ok?"**

**From the doorway of the humble cottage, the massively tall and stout Ox King congenially nodded and smiled. "That's right! Chi-Chi and I will just catch up while Gohan studies and you fellas practice. After all, practice makes perfect," the hulking man grinned before handing Sofia the keys and pushing a glaring Chi-Chi inside the house. "Good luck!"**

**Sighing, Goku crossed his arms, lifting his right hand to caress his chin thoughtfully as he mused, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try again. It'd sure make Chi-Chi happy—"**

**"Ugh," Piccolo groaned, slapping his hand on his forehead and dragging it down his face in exasperation. "This is absurd…but fine. Let's just get this over with," he sullenly declared, earning a fist pump from Sofia as she used her preternatural speed to phase into the driver's seat of the red convertible-style hover car. "Wait a minute—!"**

**"Less arguing, and more enthusiasm for learning, alright?" she interjected, adding, "You two hop in the backseat and watch me. I'll show you the basics."**

**Shrugging over at Piccolo when he gave him a baleful glare, Goku ambled over and hopped in the backseat. Frowning, Piccolo begrudgingly went over to do the same, snatching his turban and broad weighted and caped shoulder pads off in a quick motion before hopping to sit next to his former archrival. "Why're you so sure you can successfully show us the ropes anyway?" he groused, moodily crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at Sofia from the interior rearview mirror.**

**"I took some lessons and got my driving permit in my dimension," she replied simply as she snapped her seatbelt on easily and began assessing the dash before inserting the key in the ignition and starting the hover car. "While I've never driven a hover car before, the mechanics seem fairly similar."**

**Sofia went on to point out the different purposes of certain gauges, explained the importance of keeping an eye on the mirrors, and reminded them that pressing on the gas and the break should be incremental – not knee-jerk slams of their foot into the floor of the car. She put her instructions to practice by making the hover car lift and begin driving a smooth course down the dirt road that led out from the Son valley home. Wind tossing her hair languidly about, she showed them how to use the turn signals, the proper pace at which they should come to a stop if arriving at a light, intersection, or stop sign, as well as showed them how to look both ways and glance at the mirrors once more before continuing their drive.**

**Once she turned them around, Sofia put the hover car in park on the side of the road, unbuckled her seatbelt and slid into the passenger's side of the benchseat. "Ok, who wants to try driving back?" she asked, turning in her seat to glance encouragingly at the two nonplussed fighters.**

**Giving each other an appraising look, Piccolo and Goku waited for the other to volunteer, earning a sweatdrop from Sofia.**

**"Uhhh—not it!" Goku announced suddenly and touched his nose, causing Sofia and Piccolo to face-fault into their seats.**

**Once she cajoled Piccolo into the driver's seat, Sofia gently reminded him to put his seatbelt on, and adjusted his hand placement on the steering wheel. "Ok. Now, what do you do next?" she coached, smiling at him when he gave her a sharp glance.**

**"…Check the mirrors…" he muttered and went about doing so.**

**"Yep! Once you've made sure you have line of sight and checked your blind spots, you can pull out. But, we're parked on the side of the road, so, what should you do next before starting to pull onto the road?" she patiently asked, putting her seatbelt on and shooting a glance at Goku in the backseat that silently told him to do the same if he hadn't already.**

**Piccolo hesitated, glancing over at her before looking back down at the dashboard. Suddenly leaning forward and over the front seat's backrest, Goku eagerly offered, "Oh-oh! I know. You flip the blinker on, right?"**

**Glowering, Piccolo hunched away from Goku's intrusiveness and flicked the blinker on as Sofia bit her lip in a poor attempt of stifling a giggle. "Yep, that's right, Goku. And do you remember why we're using the blinker before pulling onto the road?" she asked smoothly and gave Piccolo a sidelong glance.**

**"Uhhh…" Goku scratched his head idly.**

**"To signal to any other drivers that you're pulling onto the road and avoid an accident," Piccolo answered in a grumble and shot her a smug look when she smiled and nodded.**

**"Oh yeah! That makes sense," Goku chimed and leaned back in his seat as he craned his head around at the deserted country road. "Do you have to do that even out here?"**

**As Piccolo signaled before smoothly pulling onto the road and beginning to drive at a low rate of speed back towards the valley, Sofia brushed her hair behind her shoulder as she turned to answer Goku. "For the purposes of the test? Yeah. Since most drivers are from super over congested cities, they'll be testing you based on your ability to follow the rules of driving with lots of traffic and people around," she remarked before glancing at the speedometer. "Case in point, the speed limit. Speed limits are different depending on where you're driving. For rural roads, you probably won't see it above 30-40 miles per hour, but on a highway, it could be 55-65 miles per hour. So, you can drive a little faster, Piccolo."**

**Easing into a cruising speed, Piccolo asked, "Alright, what about that parallel parking part? We didn't even get to that last time…"**

**Snorting, Sofia grinned and gestured with her hands to take it slow. "One step at a time. That's usually the last part of a driving test; it'll make or break your chance of getting your license, so that will be something I'm gonna need you both to really try your best at when we get to it," she offered, and earned a curt nod from Piccolo and a child-like look of confusion from Goku.**

**"So even if we don't crash or blow up the cars this time, if we don't parallel park right, we'll fail?!" the haphazardly spiky-haired Saiyan balked.**

**"But you _won't_  fail, right?" Sofia coaxed, giving Goku a serene look when he lamely pouted. "C'mon, Kakarot! You're a warrior! The savior of the Earth half a dozen times over – you can parallel park a freaking car. Just think of it as a trial that's successful completion will insure the resolution of the ultimate feat you've ever faced: Appeasing Chi-Chi!" Sofia dramatically declared; eyes gleaming like rubies as the sun shone in them when she held her fist up regally at him. **

**Shaking his head ruefully, Piccolo grunted, "He'll never win that one."**

**"Ye of little faith!" Sofia pointed goofily at him and whirled back around to Goku. "I have confidence in both of you. After all, if neither of you get your driver's license this time, Goku won't make it to the battle with the Androids and Chi-Chi will probably rip your ears off, so…" she chortled with a comical shrug, earning a nervous laugh from Goku and Piccolo to hunch his shoulders with mortified tension as he drove.**

**Once they'd pulled into the front yard, Piccolo remembered to put the car in park before switching places with Goku. The usually jovial fighter was positively sweating bullets when he sat in the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt, making the mistake of glancing over at the house and catching sight of Chi-Chi, who was staring out the window at him expectantly. Cringing, Goku chuckled in that silly way of his as he gave her a placid wave. Piccolo rolled his eyes from the back seat and crossed his arms while Sofia gently reminded him that just like martial arts, mastering driving was all about practice.**

**"Remember all the practice it took for you to get to the Kaio-ken? Just like that's about ki control, driving is about controlling the car," Sofia explained, deciding to use a tactic of terms and references Goku could relate to. "Just like you can't jump right to a Kaio-ken times 3 without working your way up to it, you can't hit the gas full throttle or slam the breaks willy-nilly. There's a natural progression to things when you're driving – sorta like falling in sync with the other cars around you the way you'd eventually be able to anticipate transitioning from one move to another. Does that make sense?"**

**Staring with wide, earnest eyes, Goku nodded and slowly smiled. "Yeah, it does!"**

**"Finally. Now can you put the car in gear and start driving already?" Piccolo drawled aloofly, earning a biting glare from Sofia.**

**"No backseat driving!" she admonished comically at him.**

**"What?! How come you didn't tell him that when he was doing it to me?" Piccolo barked, lip curled in a sneer when she dramatically huffed and threw her hands up.**

**"Heeheehee, oh—sorry, Piccolo—" Goku began to chortle good-naturedly, but was cut off by a snarky Sofia.**

**"Because he wasn't being a smartass, and you are," she shot back, crossing her arms with a tisk in her tone as she added, "So, in a supportive way, give Goku pointers on what he should do next?"**

**'Don't push it, Sofia,' Piccolo groused telepathically at her.**

**'Don't be all salty cuz he's not as quick-witted and brilliant as you, Piccolo,' she chided, but her tone was slightly teasing. 'I'm not worried about you. Goku, on the other hand, needs all the help he can get with anything that _doesn't_  involve beating the shit out of someone—'**

**Huffing and diverting his gaze, Piccolo muttered, "Remember not to floor the accelerator—just ease your foot onto the pedal, and try to measure when you should start pressing the break when you want to stop so you don't have to slam your foot on it."**

**Having been blinking at them as they'd intensely glared at each other silently for the terse moment, Goku ended up grunting and nodding in understanding. "Well, ok…here goes," the easygoing Saiyan put the hover car in gear, and off they went, kicking up dust in their wake as Goku accelerated a little faster than he'd intended. "Whoops—sorry!" he shouted and concentrated on gingerly applying the breaks, succeeding in coming to a smooth stop a half mile up the road.**

**"It's ok, Goku. That was much better," Sofia encouraged. Piccolo took the opportunity from the back seat to stare at his twin star openly, inwardly admiring her level of patience with the lovable-yet-perpetually-dense fighter next to her. Her tank top strap was taut from her arm being pressed into the backrest, the wide necked blush-colored long sleeve top exposing a hint of her clavicle and collarbone as it drooped asymmetrically off her shoulder. He absently thought about wanting to kiss a trail from said shoulder across her exposed skin up to her neck, imagining how she'd sigh sultrily and pull him close to do some teasing of her own. "—right! I think the big issue was they expected you to get in the car and NOT treat them like bumper cars, haha," Sofia's amused quip made him focus on their conversation again. "Do you think you can try to drive down the road, turn, and head back to the house?"**

**"Only one way to find out," Goku laughed congenially before turning to look forward with the same earnest and sober conviction in his expression as he'd take on in the heat of battle. "I will not fail again!"**

**And with that resolute declaration, he drove, and was able to remember Sofia's instructions to complete the practice drive and return them – and Ox King's car – home in one piece.**

**A few days later, the 3 warriors entered the driving school grounds, surprising a lot of the staff members who remembered Goku and Piccolo from their last disastrous driving lessons. Unlike the last time, however, Goku was focused and resolute in his goal, sparing only curt nods and waves of acknowledgment to the people who balked at them as they waited their turn to meet their driving teachers.**

**"You got this, Goku," Sofia mused, giving the taller man an encouraging pat on the back. "You're gonna knock Chi-Chi on her ass—in a good way—when you show off your license and take her for a drive in the country. Just keep that in the back of your mind when you get nervous."**

**Smirking, Goku nodded. "Right. Thanks for your help, Sofia. Oh, and thanks for these," he piped and gestured to his cool yet comfortable outfit. "These are just as comfy as my training gi!"**

**Giving him a once over and lopsided smirk, Sofia shrugged humbly. "It's nothing—just a snap, literally," she replied coolly.**

**Fashioned by Sofia's magical styling, Goku was wearing the lightest pair of baby blue wash jeans ever, a white wide collared t-shirt that seemed even softer than cotton, and a comfortable unzipped orange and black-sleeved hoodie, with a pair of navy and royal-blue trimmed high-topped Converse sneakers with white laces and soles. On the back of the hoodie was his iconic kanji symbol, a fun homage to his gi.**

**"You look pretty snazzy too, Piccolo – better than wearing my hand me downs, huh," Goku grinned goofily when the taller warrior shot him a glance from the spot he was standing in under the shade of auburn-leafed tree.**

**"Not quite…but they are comfortable," _even though the jeans are his_ , Piccolo said and thought, glancing at Sofia, who looked quite attractive in the long sleeve lilac tunic, army green crop jacket, black leggings, and brown lace up mid-calf boots she was wearing. She looked statuesque and curvy, earning lots of stray glances from some of the men that walked by. The amber-tinted sunglasses she was wearing, which made her look cool and casual in the early autumn day, obscured her exotic-yet-scintillatingly crimson eyes.**

**"If you'd like, I can snap you into that trusty 'Postboy' ensemble," Sofia drawled playfully as she took the chance to give him an appreciative glance before wiggling her eyebrows at him. While his Namekian features would always have him stand out in a crowd, Piccolo was definitely dressed comfortably and coolly in the jeans that somehow fit him like a glove, black and white converse sneakers, black crew neck t-shirt, and soft long sleeve red flannel shirt, with a backwards turned blue baseball cap to conceal his antennae. She'd cheekily added the Nirvana smiley face logo to the front of the cap, but Piccolo was none the wiser.**

**_God, he's dead-sexy…_ ** **She pined while Goku snorted at her joke and Piccolo rolled his eyes.**

**"Ok, next up for the examinations are…oh no, it can't be!" the elderly instructor began as he strolled out of the driving school building before balking down at his chart and croaking in protest; looking up at Goku and Piccolo. "You two?! But-but—!"**

**"Oh, it's misters Goku and Piccolo. How nice to see you both so soon," Cynthia, the brunette cheerful female instructor chirped as she cut the distance and dragged her elder colleague along with her.**

**"Hiya!" Goku offered congenially. "Don't worry. We've gotten lots of practice since last time, and we're here just to take our tests," he assured when the older man looked about to have a conniption.**

**The female instructor smiled. "How nice! Well then, I suppose we should get started—"**

**Sofia slid in between the woman and Piccolo when the not-so-secret speed demon went over to lead her twin star away to the waiting driving test hover car. "Actually, I'd like to go first, if that's alright," she mused and gave the other woman a cool smile while Piccolo blinked confusedly behind her and the instructors gaped in wonder up at her.**

**"Sure thing! I like your confidence," the shorter woman offered and led the way.**

**As she walked away, Sofia shouted over her shoulder, "This won't take long if you wanna watch me Ace the test!"**

**Giving each other a mutual look of awe, Goku and Piccolo rushed to follow, with the old man protesting cantankerously behind them.**

**Sofia hadn't lied. It took her 10 minutes flat to clear the test course, wickedly giving the overly-friendly Cynthia a taste of her own medicine by showing her how to drive like a true speed demon. When she arrived at the part of the course where she'd have to complete the parallel parking portion of the test, the other woman was laughing goofy with spirals in her eyes – her clipboard gripped in her manicured hands and Sofia's score sheet checked off with passing marks in every section.**

**Piccolo and Goku found themselves holding their breaths as they watched her parallel park and smoothly put the car back in gear to drive and park in her starting spot. Posing coolly in the car while Cynthia quickly stamped "PASSED" onto her score sheet, Sofia tipped her sunglasses down and winked at them.**

**Smirking, Piccolo found it incredibly sexy, especially when she hopped out of the car and ran her long fingers through her hair before shooting them a brilliant smile.**

**"Because of the high insurance we had to take out from your last disastrous tests, we'll be taking turns in the same vehicle," the elderly instructor barked before pointing his cane at Piccolo. "Alright, young man, you're next. And please…try to keep your competitive streak in check this time!"**

**"Good luck, Piccolo!" Goku offered and jovially waved as his former archrival got in the driver's seat and began his exam. Glancing over at Cynthia, who was still wistfully teetering in place off to the side, Goku whispered over to Sofia, "Uh, is she gonna be ok?"**

**"Oh yeah. But I think she's out of commission for the rest of the day as far as driving exams are concerned," Sofia snickered and thought, _that'll teach her for trying to get all flirty with my man._**

**Before long, Piccolo drove up to the parallel parking section of the course, and methodically completed the final task, smirking confidently when he pulled up to the curve and Sofia was cheering while Goku clapped enthusiastically.**

**When he loped over, he flashed his "PASSED" stamped score sheet before slipping it into his back pocket.**

**"Well, I guess it's my turn…" Goku's enthusiasm slightly waned as he nervously smiled over at them. "Wish me luck, you guys!"**

**"Goku," Sofia clamped her hand platonically on the taller man's shoulder. "Don't be nervous. Just remember," she paused for emphasis before adding comically, "Chi-Chi will kill you if you fail, and then you won't be able to fight the Androids!"**

**Piccolo sweatdropped behind her before ruefully shaking his head as he barked, "You call THAT encouragement?!"**

**Blinking at her, Goku was focusing on her red eyes as they peeked at him over the rim of her tinted sunglasses. He saw the warmth and affection, and most importantly, the reassurance he needed. Offering her a lopsided smirk, the fighter curtly nodded and went over to hop into the driver's seat.**

**"What if he can't parallel park?" Piccolo rumbled stoically to her when he crossed his arms while he watched Goku begin to drive off smoothly.**

**Shrugging noncommittally, Sofia chirped, "We'll beat up the old man."**

**Grunting with humor, he drawled, "I'm serious."**

**"I know, and I'm not worried. He's freaking Goku. You know better than anyone not to underestimate that dude," she teased, shooting him an amused glance over the rim of her sunglasses.**

**Sure enough, they eventually watched from their vantage point as the haphazardly spiky-haired savior of the Earth and universe at large pulled up to the notorious final section of the driving exam. Taking a cleansing breath, Goku focused with all his might on the task, recalling acutely all the mishaps and close calls of running over the practice cones the last few days. Expression chiseled in concentration, the happy-go-lucky Saiyan put the hover car in gear and began to parallel park, ever so slowly.**

**Wringing her hands together, Sofia silently stressed while Piccolo crossed his arms tighter in anticipation for the crash he waited for that never came.**

**Instead, Goku inched slowly inch by painstaking inch into the spot before adjusting the wheel and straightening out the car. The instructor was in awe, jaw dropped and staring up at him in wonder as he managed to carefully pull out of the parallel parking section and return them in one piece back to the starting point of the exam.**

**When he put the car in park and shut the engine, Goku openly looked over at the instructor. "Well…was that ok this time, sir?"**

**Tip of the pen frozen on the last check mark of the score sheet, the man stared down at the clipboard before definitively checking the box as pass. "It's miraculous…I've never seen this level of improvement! Congratulations, young man!" And with that, he stamped "PASSED" on his sheet and handed it over.**

**"YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!" Sofia shouted unabashedly before leaping in the air and fist pumping wildly. "HELL YEAH! YOU DID IT, GOKU! WOOOOOOOO!" she continued to celebrate, zipping around comically while Piccolo stood in the same stance, shaking his head ruefully at the display.**

**Laughing, Goku thanked the instructor eagerly before hopping out to run over to his friends. Sofia immediately glomped him and squealed merrily, continuing to praise him. Once they finished their silly celebrations and posed for their driver's license photos, they each picked up their glossy license and marveled at it. Sofia leaned over Goku's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up at his photo while Piccolo kept trying to keep his away from her eager gaze and fast hands as she tried to phase about in attempts of snatching it out of his grasp. After relenting and showing them, Sofia smiled at the stoic yet handsome photo he took – sans his backwards-turned hat – and flashed hers to their scrutinizing stares.**

**"Oh wow, bet that's the first time they ever had to write 'red' next to eye color," Goku chuckled good-naturedly as they walked out of the license office out into the crisp afternoon air. "Well, it's a good thing we all passed," Goku announced as he began to dig into his hoodie pocket before retrieving a capsule. "Means we get to drive back in this!"**

**When he clicked the capsule and tossed it to the curbside in front of the building, a big burst of smoke obscured their vision before dissipating to reveal a compact, white 2-seat hover car with a convertible top.**

**"Whoa…" Sofia rushed over to check out the car, pushing her sunglasses to rest on the top of her head so she could admire the interior; watching as the roof folded down with the click of a button when Goku reached in and pressed it on the dash. "Where'd you get this?"**

**"Oh, Chi-Chi's dad helped me pick it out…and pay for it. It's sort of a belated wedding gift," the jovial Saiyan explained before hopping into the driver's seat. "Do you think she'll like it?"**

**Smiling, Sofia teetered on to the balls of her feet before declaring, "She's gonna love it!"**

**"Are you really gonna drive it back to your house?" Piccolo inquired, crossing his arms and glancing at Goku's wide-eyed expression. "I mean, why not just give her the capsule," he added and glanced up at Sofia, who was giving him that look that was almost a pout and sneer. "What?"**

**"He WANTS to be ROMANTIC and pull up in the car all, "Hey, honey. Let me take you out for a long drive and show you the stars," Piccolo," she acerbically shot back, now crossing her arms and raising a brow at him. "So handing the capsule to her isn't the most exciting way to go about that, obvi."**

**"Heeheehee, yeah, I just think it'll be great to see Chi-Chi's face when we drive up," Goku chortled as he started the car.**

**Both glancing at him, they asked in unison, "We?"**

**"Yeah! We're all driving back together," the Saiyan retorted affably. "Sure, it's a 2-seater, but I figured you'd ride shotgun, Piccolo, and Sofia could sit on your lap—"**

**"Whoa, why in the hell would we all cram into this car and drive back? I mean—if anything, you 2 can drive back, and I'll just fly—" Piccolo's rational complaint was interrupted by a frowning Goku.**

**"Aww, c'mon, Piccolo. If it wasn't for you guys and all your help, I wouldn't have been able to pass the test. You both are just as much part of me being able to surprise Chi-Chi with this new car, and it'd just be really nice to have our first official drive all together, that's all," Goku explained in that endearingly wonderful way of his that even made the likes of his former foes wane in conviction. It also didn't help that Sofia was melting at the sweetness of his petition, leading her to gaze over at him in that way that made something in his chest flutter warmly.**

**Huffing and dropping his arms to his sides in defeat, Piccolo grumbled, "Oh alright…but couldn't you have gotten a car with enough seats?"**

**"Piccolo!" Sofia admonished, opening the passenger side door and holding it open, her glare to be nice earning an eye roll from her twin star as he rounded the car and sat next to Goku. After shutting the door, Sofia effortlessly hopped in and landed firmly in Piccolo's lap, earning a grunt from him and his eyes to grow wide momentarily. "See? We fit! I don't appreciate you acting like I'm a behemoth or something—"**

**"I was _not_  implying anything!" Piccolo groused, hanging one arm over the open window panel while the other was tossed behind the backrest as to accommodate her to lean back against his chest. "This is a tight fit, and you know it, that's all—"**

**"It's not that bad. You're just trying to be too cool and don't like having your style cramped even just a little," Sofia cut in argumentatively and adjusted to be more comfortable in his lap, which caused her derriere to be firmly pressed against his crotch. Feeling him stiffen slightly, she made a big show about pulling the seatbelt on for both of them before smiling cheerily at Goku. "Ok! Let's get this show on the road."**

**"Alright!" Goku offered affably as he buckled up, started the car, and drove them home.**

**Which was a 40-minute drive away.**

**Jaw clenched tightly, Piccolo gripped the backrest tightly to hide his growing anxiety about being pressed so close and against Sofia while she chatted pleasantly with Goku as they drove.**

**_Just don't think of sex. Ignore it. Forget she's sitting on your lap. Think of stuff you hate_ ** **, Piccolo recited mentally to himself to quell his rising libido, but was thwarted every time they hit a bump and Sofia pressed and rubbed against him more from the jostling. When she idly gripped his knee and adjusted again, laughing at something Goku said, Piccolo internally groaned, fixating on how the thin leggings she wore felt against his ever-tightening jean-covered crotch. _Shit…! She's gotta be doing this on purpose_ , he mentally fumed, breathing a quiet intake of air through his nose and closing his eyes as he tried to stifle the blush that was creeping up his neck towards his cheeks.**

**'You're quieter than usual,' she mused innocently over their telepathic rapport, shooting him a quick glance and flirty smile when Goku was trying to concentrate on getting over the necessary lanes towards the off ramp he needed to take to head home.**

**'I know what you're doing,' he grumbled bitingly, eyeing her sharply before glancing at their aloof driver. 'Quit it right now—'**

**'Quit what?' she feigned sweetly before playfully grinding her backside against him. 'This?'**

**He could feel his half-erect member throb to full hardness at that. It took all his willpower not to grip her waist and reciprocate her wanton tease. 'Sofia—!,' he warned in a husky growl.**

**"You sure are quiet, Piccolo. Is my driving still that bad?" Goku cut in distractedly as he focused on pulling off of the highway onto the country road that led up into Mt. Paozu.**

**"…I'm just enjoying the scenery," Piccolo managed to mutter levelly, coughing to conceal his blush so he could turn to look over Sofia's shoulder at the scenic views.**

**"You're driving great, Goku. I think when we get home, you should take Chi-Chi out for a drive. Piccolo and I can watch Gohan," Sofia offered, elbowing her twin star platonically as she chirped, "Sound good, Piccolo?"**

**Exhaling noisily through his nose, Piccolo muttered tersely, "Sure." _Chi-Chi's harpy-like yelling; Bulma's self-centered nagging; Vegeta's stupid smug face—_ , he recited to himself things that completely grated his nerves and in turn, would cool his arousal.  _Nail's hassling; Kami telling me anything; the old goat in general…_**

**Luckily, they mercifully made it to the cottage, pulling up to park across from the front door just as it was opened and Chi-Chi eagerly rushed out, eyes wide as saucers.**

**"Hey, hun! Guess what—" Goku was interrupted as he hopped out of the car and was rushed by an excited Chi-Chi.**

**"Oh, Goku!" she tackled him and showered him with happy kisses, tears in her eyes as she realized that not only had he accomplished the goal, but came home in what was clearly their new family car. "I love it! Oh, you're the most wonderful husband. I love you," she gushed, hugging him sweetly while he smiled and gave Sofia and Piccolo a thumb's up.**

**Hopping out of the car, Sofia went over to Gohan and showed off her license, while Piccolo took his time getting out of the car and wandering off from the happy celebrations to conceal his still-riled frame.**

**After celebrating the achievement with a dinner feast and posing for an obligatory group photo where the 3 fighters showed off their hard-sought after prizes, Goku and Chi-Chi went for a sunset drive together while Sofia, Piccolo and Gohan stayed behind to spend time together. Taking advantage of the crisp fall air, they hung out in the living room with the windows open and played cards for a while until Piccolo announced he'd be heading off for the night.**

**"Don't stay up too late, kid. I'll see you in a couple of days," he waved as he left the house.**

**Left to idly play with the cards, trying to stack them into houses, Gohan finally piped up, "So…do you still have a crush on Piccolo?"**

**Snorting, Sofia raised an aloof brow at him as she retorted, "I've never had a crush on Piccolo."**

**"Uh-huh," Gohan replied with conspiratorial expression as he added, "You guys don't really fight anymore."**

**"So?" she asked before watching her house of cards crumble after he placed an ace on the top. "That doesn't mean anything more than…well, that we're friends now. I mean, remember how he constantly yelled at you? But overtime, you two grew to be the best of friends," she mused, smiling at Gohan when he nodded in agreement.**

**"I guess so…I just thought you guys would be more than that, is all," he explained as he yawned.**

**Snickering, Sofia shook her head ruefully. Changing the subject, she pulled out one of her favorite books and began to read it to him as he lounged on the couch, ensnaring his avid attention for a while until he slowly succumbed to sleep. When she realized he was in deep slumber, she picked him up and carried him to his bed, tucking him in before going back out to clean up the kitchen and living room just as Goku and Chi-Chi returned home.**

**Seeing the sparkle in the older woman's eyes as she stared lovingly at Goku, Sofia knew that her buddy was guaranteed a night of marital bliss. "You two have a great family day tomorrow. I'll be heading out in a few once I've finished tidying up," she offered pleasantly as she continued to put away the cards and right the pillows on the couch.**

**"It's so late, Sofia. You should stay here tonight—" Chi-Chi began, her arms wrapped around Goku's as she affectionately cuddled him.**

**"It's alright! Don't worry. I'll see you guys later," Sofia offered as she picked up her backpack and headed for the door, pausing before she walked out to offer them a knowing smile as she added, "Have fun."**

* * *

 

**There was nothing more fulfilling than having people you care about. Let alone who care about you in return. I never knew how that really felt, but after deciding to remain in this dimension, I looked back and wondered why I ever struggled with the idea of staying to begin with. The time since making my choice was a whirlwind, but now as I stared out at the sprawling landscape in front of me, I took the time to reflect on every moment, cherishing the sensation of genuine happiness that filled me. Clearing the clouds to approach where Piccolo and I have shacked up in on the fleeting occasions we had to be alone together, I landed on the ledge of the cave and went in, idly rubbing my arms at the fall-like chill in the night air.**

**I totally expected for him to be back in his usual threads meditating the stress of the day away, so I was surprised to see him sitting lotus style by the fire, still wearing the outfit I'd snapped for him. Not only that, he had one of my favorite books of short stories and poems balanced on one knee while he wrote in a small notebook propped on the other. Blinking at the sight, I took off my jacket and tossed it to the side before wandering closer to the fire.**

**"Hey," I offered tentatively, not sure what mood he was in after all of my unfair teasing in the car earlier.**

**"Took you long enough," he groused tersely, still writing in the notebook. "I take it Goku and the harpy will both be in great moods when we go back to train?" he mused in that level baritone of his as he closed the book and tossed it over to my little reading nook before glancing up at me.**

**"Oh yeah. I think Chi-Chi will manage to not bellow at him for anything for at least a week," I chuckled before going over to sit and cozy up next to him. "Whatcha writing?"**

**I totally expected him to be squirrelly and not want to share, but was surprised when he offered me the notebook and shrugged. "I've just been practicing. Gohan had a spare," he explained aloofly and leaned back on his hands as he watched me open the notebook and peruse his writing.**

**Skimming a page, I realized he'd been copying down excerpts out of the book. I read a few before flipping pages, noticing that his once jumbled handwriting seemed more practiced now, and more notably, that his grammar was no longer the rudimentary stringing of phonetics it'd once been. I also realized that not all the writings were copied excerpts.**

**_I don't know why, but this one stands out: here is the deepest secret nobody knows…higher than the soul can hope or the mind can hide…this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart; I carry it in my heart_ ** **, I read, smiling before glancing up at him. Never would I have thought he had a penchant for poesy.**

**"Turn it to the last page I wrote in," he murmured, his onyx eyes lowering in that musing way of his that made me want to fawn.**

**Flipping through the rest of the pages to get to the one in question, I read out loud, "What is worse than having the woman you love in secret pressed against you in front of your old nemesis? Having her grind against you when you can't reciprocate the way you want. Like by caressing her body as you tease her right back." Feeling my cheeks burn, I looked at him and started giggling innocently. "Well, to be fair, you don't have to love me in secret, you know," I sing-sung to him as I went to cuddle up against him.**

**"I wasn't going to take you right then and there in front of Son, you crazy woman. Secret or no secret," he huffed at me, but pulled me onto his lap as he tossed his hat aside and seductively ground me down on him. "But if you think I'm going to let you get away with your wanton teasing, you're _very_  mistaken," he purred hotly against my throat when I gasped and gripped his shoulders as I arched in surprise.**

**"Mmmm, oh no, just how mistaken am I?" I murmured playfully as I began to push his flannel shirt off. "I mean, I really wasn't teasing at all~," I purred, slipping my hands up his black shirt to caress his firm pecs.**

**"Is that a fact?" he husked in that velvety tone that sent fluttering excitement down my body. "Then I guess there's no need for me to reciprocate," he said offhandedly before shrugging and letting me slip off his lap as he went to stand.**

**Snagging him by the belt loop of his jeans, I stopped him from loping away and propped myself on the sitting pillow in a kneeling position. When he stared down at me with feigned composure, I gazed up at him through my lashes before batting them at him. "Well, just between us, I will admit: the idea of you wanting to take me right then and there?" I drawled sultrily as I began to unfasten the button of his jeans, adding, "That's exactly what I fantasize about, so is it a wonder I teased you the way I did?" Caressing my hand up his thigh as I watched his expression change from slight intrigue to heated interest, I continued in a smoky tone, "But even more so, the constant desire to get you out of these jeans has distracted me all day…" As I said that, I slowly unzipped his fly.**

**BUT! Before I could continue into the foreplay session I'd been fantasizing about all day, Piccolo pulled me up from my kneeling position and quite frankly, made short work of undressing me and himself before taking me to bed. Tossing the last of my clothes aside as he pressed against me in our kneeling positions from behind, I leaned back against his chest as I pulled his arms to encircle me. With a sigh, I tossed my head to the side to meet his jaw and entice him to lean close for a kiss. When he did, I nipped playfully at his bottom lip before humming seductively at his hands trailing possessively up my curves to caress me as he bucked cheekily against me.**

**"Is this what you wanted to do to me in the car?" I purred, reaching my arms backwards to anchor around his neck so I could press myself flush against him.**

**"No," he husked, surprising me when he groped his strong hands down my body to grip my hips as he undulated his pelvis in such a way that it caused him to grind his hard cock teasingly between the valley of my thighs before he growled hotly, " _this_  is what I wanted to do in the car every time you'd fidget and rub your ass against me. Which, by the way, was  _cruel_."**

**Gasping and shivering at the erotic onslaught of his actions and words, I began to reciprocate his ministrations by grinding slow circular motions back against him, driving his manhood to be exquisitely close to pressing inside me. "Cruel?" I mewled drunkenly, tilting my head sideways when he nudged his cheek against my temple as he slowly trailed one of his hands to slip between my thighs.**

**"Yes! You're a damn…what's it called again?" he huffed in a gravelly tone against my ear as he began touching me with expert prowess.**

**"…a cock tease?" I sighed absentmindedly, too enthralled by his ministrations to care.**

**"Yeah, that," he grunted in that sexy way of his before surprising me by wrapping his arms around me and pulling us both down to land sideways on the bedroll. Kissing the back of my shoulder as we spooned, he caressed my body with his strong yet gentle hands, causing me to rock with pleasure against him. I was dying to have him inside me after so long without being able to feel his skin against mine. "You were driving me crazy," he growled hungrily against my jaw as he kissed along it, causing me to sigh and gasp as I clutched his arms. When I ground my excited flesh wantonly on his lap, he hummed with pleasure before pulling me against him as he began to press his hard, throbbing shaft into me. I cried out, mewling softly when he gripped my hip and began making love to me in the way I imagined he'd been fantasizing about the whole drive home while I'd teasingly ground myself against his crotch.**

**Lacing my fingers with his, I gripped his hand as our bodies rocked in rhythm while his other hand slipped between my thighs to cause even more havoc on me. "Oh god," I gasped desperately as his fingers caressed my eager flesh before pressing teasingly against the source of my heated pleasure. "Oh god, Piccolo—please!" I whimpered, feeling so close to bliss in his arms. His fingers tightened around mine as I tipped my face upwards towards his to capture his lips in a hungry kiss, tongues and lips caressing lustfully as we continued to make love. When his other fingers began to skillfully circle my excited flesh in time with his strokes in and out of my quivering heat, I felt myself stiffen and curl against him, awash with my climax and a hearty cry of pleasure. Before long, I was gasping at the feel of his hard cock throbbing for release inside of me. I wanted more of him; wanted him to lose control and climax just as powerfully as he'd driven me to. I could feel his pulse throbbing against me, his skin growing hot as he pressed against me with a husky groan coming from his chest. There was nothing like feeling him at that delicious point of unselfconscious desire and hunger that caused him to growl and hum with pleasure. He was close, and I could feel him trembling with the will to not lose control, battling against his need to prolong yet coax pure bliss out of both of us. "Mmm, Piccolo," I whimpered just as we began to quicken the pace of our lovemaking. "Oh god, please don't stop!" I cried out when I could feel that same wave of pleasure and titillating excitement coil in my core again; his gruff groans and gasps becoming hoarse grunts as he nuzzled my neck.**

**He wasn't much of a talker during sex, so when he did say anything, it was the biggest turn on for me. Especially when he said it in that gravelly baritone that caused my body to flush and tingle with excitement.**

**"Dammit—Sofia…!" he growled as he began to thrust faster, his hands caressing my body possessively as he groaned and pressed his next thrust deep inside of me. "Hnh…ah—!" he tensed when I cried out at the sensation of him nestled against the most tender and excited part within me, causing me to climax even more powerfully than the first time. The tensing and quivering of my body clenching him so possessively drove him wild, causing him to continue to thrust harder and quicker before he bit back on his groan and climaxed, burying his face against my neck as he achieved bliss. Panting and exhaustedly entangled against each other, we relaxed in the afterglow of yet another mind-blowing session of lovemaking. My skin was tingling, my core vibrating with sated pleasure, hyperaware of the sensation of his different-textured skin brushing and pressing against my body as we spooned. I absently realized after a short while that he was languidly combing my mussed hair back and away from my face once he leaned down and kissed my cheek. When I craned my head sideways and smiled drunkenly up at him, Piccolo gave me an accomplished smirk before gloating, "Nothing better than getting you so satisfied that all you can do is look at me like that."**

**It was true. I was so over the moon, I just couldn't muster words. All I could manage was telepathically purring, 'Imma tease you like that every freaking day for infinity!'**

* * *

 

**In the darkness of her subconscious, she felt herself sink into a fitful dream that was unlike all the others that had preceded it. Her unconscious seemed to tremble with the confusion she felt, but all at once, Sofia felt something deep in the darkness begin to call out to her.**

**_We are waiting for you to awaken_ **

**She pulled herself away from the sensation and began to rush forward, fear not compelling her to escape, yet something in the whispered voices that carried over from the darkness sounded viciously impatient and demanding of her. When she turned back towards the darkness, she blinked at the shift of her surroundings. The dark subconscious was replaced by a seemingly arid plain that glowed almost violet from the swaying grasses and the vermillion soil—distant trees rustling with fuchsia leaves in their canopies under an orange sky.**

**Sofia stood alone in the sprawling landscape. It was deftly quiet around her, save for the pulsating of a voice from somewhere beyond.**

**_We want our True to awaken…come forth—bringer…this vessel is not yet enough—we are the blood of stones—_ **

**The voices carried over in a disorienting cacophony to Sofia as she whirled about in the alien landscape, her pulse racing as the voices kept echoing into her very marrow.**

**_I will awaken_ **

**The breathy whisper silenced all the other voices and left Sofia frazzled before the landscape plunged into a well of darkness around her, and the same voice hissed laboriously at her from the recess of her soul like a ravenous feline creature that was prowling for dominance.**

_WAKE UP_

**Sofia snapped herself awake and sat up in bed, her brow covered in sweat and a slight panic rising in her chest when she struggled to remember where she was.**

**Gripping the blanket around her nude form, she gazed about until her frenzied vision focused on the dark walls of the cave illuminated soothingly by the dying glow of the embers in the fireplace. The warm form pressed against her shifted with a sigh before rolling on its side and exhaling softly. Glancing down at Piccolo's sleeping features, Sofia realized she'd had a terrible dream. Once she felt her racing pulse calm, she laid her head back on the pillow and took a cleansing breath. Turning her head sideways, she watched Piccolo sleep peacefully, and was glad she hadn't stirred him awake with her fitful slumber. She watched him for a few moments before trying to reconcile the snippets of the nightmare she was still able to see in her mind's eye.**

**The whole dream had felt eerie and divorced from her; as if it'd been meant for someone else. She wondered if it was anything to ponder on further, but unlike her past dreams, this one hadn't stirred a foreboding dread. It was a vision of something that escaped her awareness, but kept tugging in the back of her recollections.**

**Unable to go back to sleep, she snuck out of bed and into a set of thermal leggings and sweater before picking up her boots and stealthily exiting the cave.**

**A long while later, she absently stirred herself out of her idle thoughts to glance about at the splendor of the world around her from atop of the plateau she was standing on. The dream sunk into the recesses of her subconscious, the calling whispers forgotten, for now.**

**Watching the sunrise, Sofia hugged herself against the early morning chill and took a calming breath as the breeze made her hair flutter languidly about.**

**"What're you doing up here?"**

**Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Piccolo land on the plateau she was standing on. He was free of his turban and shoulder pads, looking devastatingly handsome as the morning rays caught the contours of his face.**

**"Nothing. Just wanted to come watch the sunrise. Didn't want to wake you," she answered him as she continued to absentmindedly rub her arms. When he stood next to her, she was pleasantly surprised when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his side. Sofia curled lovingly against him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Isn't it lovely?"**

**He gazed across the horizon, his onyx eyes shining warmly as he smirked and nodded. "Yeah. I've seen it countless times…but this is the first time I've seen it with someone," he murmured, his baritone cool and serene as he spoke against her temple. "Instead of sneaking out of bed next time, just wake me. I shouldn't be sleeping past dawn anyway," he drawled as he encircled her waist with both his arms.**

**She turned in his arms and kissed his jaw. "Alright, tough guy. Mmm, you're so warm," Sofia murmured as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his neck. He grunted, nudging her head affectionately so she'd lean up and meet his kiss. Smiling against his lips, she pulled back and gazed up at him. "So, what do you wanna do today?"**

**Giving her a lopsided smirk, he drawled in that gravelly tone that she found to be such a turn on, "If you'd stayed in bed, we'd be doing it right now."**

**Feeling weak in the knees, she managed to raise a brow and playfully purred, "And _I'm_  the insatiable one?"**

**"Damn straight," he countered wryly before glancing back at the sunrise. "I'm content to hang around here. Unless you have something else in mind?"**

**Humming, she trailed her hands up his chest to idly caress his collarbones as she clicked her tongue in thought. "How 'bout we go back down to the cave, and we get you into those sexy jeans so I can get you out of them?" she wiggled her eyebrows at him and earned a snort as he rolled his eyes sarcastically at her proposition.**

**"See? Insatiable," he groused dryly while taking her hand to lead the way down from the plateau, glancing over his shoulder as he offered matter-of-factly, "They're gonna notice I never gave those damned jeans back in the first place eventually, you know."**

**They used their agility to slide down the side of the plateau to arrive at the lip that jutted out to reveal the entrance of the cave. Once they landed on the perch, she pulled him into the cave, her purr echoing around them. "I snapped Goku a replacement pair and hung them on the laundry line a while back, so they're none the wiser…"**

**His warm chuckle echoed around them as they got into their humble and secret abode. "Of course you did," he grunted glibly as he flicked a small ki ball to ignite the kindling in the fire pit, instantly illuminating the cave.**

**"Yep! So no need to worry; no one will ever know the things I've done to get you in and _out_  of those fabulous pants, so you're safe," she murmured off-handedly with a shrug.**

**Taking her hand when she made a dramatically dismissive gesture, he affectionately trailed his fingertips up her arm to her shoulder. He admired her dazzling gaze as he murmured, "I know it annoys you to keep things under the radar from the others, but you know it's only cuz I don't think anyone should know our business, right?"**

**Rolling her eyes sarcastically, Sofia pulled her thermal sweater off and tossed it at him. "Well, to be honest, that was the plan _before_  when we didn't know if I was going to stay in this dimension or go back," she replied gently as she stripped out of her boots from the day before and the thermal leggings. Now completely nude before him, she casually sauntered over and crawled back into bed, and only after she was pleasantly tucked under the warm blankets did she add musingly, "It's wholly up to us whether we wanna keep sneaking around, or, not."**

**Raising a brow ridge, Piccolo went about stripping out of the few clothes he wore to join her under the covers, and only after settling on his side and propping himself up on his elbow to stare down at her did he thoughtfully reflect on why the subject seemed to bother her. "You think I'm embarrassed to be public," he mused, his antennae vacillating when he tilted his head to the side, adding, "I'm not, you know."**

**"I know you're not keen on being public…but I don't think it's out of embarrassment. I just," she paused, sighing because she didn't like how he might react. "Never mind, it's stupid—"**

**'Sofia, c'mon,' Piccolo cut in telepathically, brushing the backs of his knuckles affectionately along her cheek.**

**Crimson eyes twinkling up at him, she exhaled her tension. "I think you're afraid of being public—of what it will mean for everyone else to know you're not the loner with no sentimental attachments weighing him down anymore—no longer free of the trappings of publically loving someone and having something that can be used against you in battle. And no, it's not the same as your friendship with Gohan," she interjected before adjusting to lie on her side to face him more. "Listen, I'm sorta afraid too…but I think being with you is a strength; gives me more reason to fight and not be held back," she explained soberly before adding dismissively, "Doesn't matter. After all, I highly doubt you'd ever profess your feelings to another soul anyway, so…"**

**Huffing his exhale through his nose, Piccolo tried to submerge his scowl. It always disarmed him just how much she really knew him—how he felt and thought. Now as he thought about it, that was pretty much exactly why he was ambivalent about the whole thing. But he'd be damned if he left her thinking and feeling poorly about things between them because of his selfish concerns.**

**"Alright, get dressed, and let's go," he suddenly declared, tossing the covers away and grabbing his typical attire before hurriedly getting dressed.**

**Blinking in shock, Sofia watched him get dressed before finally inquiring, "Why? Where are we going—?"**

**"You'll see. Just get dressed. I'll wait for you up top," he stated resolutely before stalking out the cave and floating up to the plateau at the top of their cave.**

**Sweatdropping, Sofia hurriedly snapped her fingers and materialized a burgundy thermal sweatshirt, black jeggings, and her lace up boots before snuffing the fire out with a telekinetic burst before heading out.**

**When she floated up to the top, Piccolo had his trademark turban and caped shoulder pads on. Giving her an appraising glance, he simply gestured for her to follow him as he hopped in the air and took flight. Confused, she did so, relenting in her skepticism thanks to her complete trust in her twin star; a trust he'd come to earn implicitly.**

**As they flew, she admired the scenic early morning landscape. The cool blue sky was filled with docile clouds as they ascended further beyond them. Dimly, she realized they were flying further and further up into the sky, an ascent that could only mean one destination.**

**When the top of Korin's Tower came into view, Sofia glanced with furrowed brows at Piccolo. 'Why're we going up to the Lookout?' she inquired, her eyes narrowing goofily at him when he offered her a cool glance.**

**'You'll see,' was all he responded before jetting faster in his ascent towards the base of the Lookout's dome.**

**Barreling after him, Sofia caught up and they both burst through the clouds to descend to a graceful landing virtually at the same time. Mr. Popo was merrily watering some daffodils in one of his favorite courtyard plots when he paused and turned, noticing the new arrivals. "Oh, hello you too! It's so nice of you both to visit again," the ebony genie offered, coming over to greet the twin stars as they walked across the center courtyard in route to the palace.**

**"Hey, Mr. Popo!" Sofia greeted with a pleasant smile.**

**"Where's the old man?" Piccolo asked, skipping the pleasantries.**

**Now Sofia was truly confused. Piccolo was willingly coming to talk to Kami? And it wasn't under chaotic circumstances?**

**"I'm right here, Piccolo. No need to be so rude, though," Kami's sage tone echoed over to them as he exited the palace, his expression stoic, but gaze betraying his confusion at their sudden arrival. "While it is nice to see you both so soon, I'm curious to know what's motivated this visit," the guardian of Earth mused as he walked over to join them in the center courtyard.**

**Fists balled up at his sides, Piccolo inhaled a sobering breath before exhaling it through his nose; features set in an unreadable mask as he regarded his older half before glancing over at Sofia. Extending his hand to her, he caught her off guard, but when she took his hand, she let him march her over to Kami until they were mere feet away from the elder Namek.**

**When Kami just blinked in confusion, Piccolo finally sighed. He was ready.**

**"I brought Sofia here to let you know that I love her. She thinks I'm afraid to let it be known, but I'm not. I don't particularly want to deal with the stupid trivial curiosities of others, nor do I really care what people will think. I'm content with it being just she and I indefinitely. But, she doesn't think I have the guts to profess my love for her to anyone, and I wanted to come up here, and tell _you_ , of ALL people, that I profess my feelings for her, because I want her to know I'd do anything for her, no matter how exasperating it is."**

**Everyone's eyes were wide and mouths hung agape in surprised awe at the declaration, but none were more knocked over than Sofia, who was holding his hand and staring at him like he'd done the most amazingly heroic thing she'd ever seen him do.**

**When a few seconds of silence reigned, Piccolo finally turned towards her, took her other hand and barked tersely, "There. Are you satisfied?"**

**The shock slowly melting away from her features, her eyes becoming glossy garnet stones brimming with love for him. "Yes. I am…and I love you too, with all my heart, especially right here, and now," she breathed, her smile softening her features as she tossed her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.**

**Piccolo pulled her close, encircling her waist as he kissed her unselfconsciously in front of his know-it-all elder half, something that only a day ago would've been a cringe-worthy display to him.**

**"Well, in my entire tenure as Kami of Earth, this is a first," the elder sage grinned when they parted from their kiss to stare affectionately into each other's eyes. "Thank you for sharing this special moment with me, Piccolo. I'm very happy for you both," Kami offered genuinely, smiling at Sofia when she leaned against Piccolo and offered the guardian of Earth a silly wink.**

**"Not as happy as me right now, Kami," Sofia offered serenely before glancing up at Piccolo and musing, "Fine. This totally bought you a reprieve from telling anyone else for a good while."**

**Grunting, Piccolo took her hand and offered Kami a cursory glance over his shoulder before saying stoically, "Thanks, old man."**

**And with that, he led Sofia back down the center courtyard, his hand squeezing hers affectionately as she turned around and cheerily waved goodbye to Kami and Mr. Popo.**

**_My word…those two were truly made for one another, and I'm glad._ **

**As they approached the edge of the Lookout, Sofia relished the sense of fulfilled love that washed over her as the breeze languidly tussled her hair and fluttered Piccolo's cape. Once they neared the edge, Sofia snickered playfully, "Remember the first time you brought me up here?"**

**Smirking, Piccolo gave her a smug glance. "Yeah. You were such a snarky bitch that I dropped you right here," he murmured glibly, giving her an amused smirk when she mockingly pouted and shot him a sharp glance.**

**"True, but I was hoping you'd point out just how full circle we've come, yah Green Bean," she teased derisively and swung their conjoined hands between them goofily. "Feels like it was ages ago that you and I were sniping at each other for supremacy, now look at us now," she added sardonically and gave him a serene smile, continuing musingly as she leaned against him affectionately, "I loved you from as far back as then, sure, but never did I think…well, you know."**

**Exhaling an amused huff, Piccolo gave her a heated glance as he mused, "I felt the same thing the first time you told me off at Gohan's…so yeah, I know, but I didn't know it then. So, guess there's still a lot more to learn with you. Even if you are pervy, incorrigible and insatiable hentai."**

**Her crimson eyes widened with surprise before softening humorously. "You're so romantical, Namek," she sing-sung and sighed flirtatiously, slinking up against him before leaning up to kiss him chastely on the lips.**

**Taking her hand again and leading her close to the edge, they stood gazing out at the splendid sky before them. Before they resolved to hop off and take flight, she squeezed Piccolo's hand and glanced up at him, smiling lovingly at him as she murmured, "No matter what, I want you to know that I will always remember this. You and I – well, we'll always have this moment, just you and me, literally on top of the world, looking forward at the unknown, together."**

**Smirking, Piccolo laced his fingers with hers and warmly gazed at her, his onyx eyes softening. "It isn't the unknown as long as we stick together, so, let's get on with it then," he mused debonairly.**

**The affectionate mirth that filled her cresting eyes softened her features as Sofia gave him a curt nod and smiled. "Right."**

**And with that, they both took to the air, hand-in-hand, side-by-side and ready to pursue their joined paths as twin stars into an uncertain, but hopeful future.**

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The partial poem quoted in the story is E.E. Cummings' [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
> 
> I am so happy to have finally completed this story! Many thanks to the other writers who encouraged me throughout and gave me pointers on my journey writing for this story. I also want to thank all the fanfiction authors who inspired me to write my own - albeit snarky Mary Sue self-insertion - story incorporating the wonderful characters and universe of Akira Toriyama. While you can bet your asses that during my long lapses in writing and posting, the amazingly ridiculous content of TFS and now the AWESOME latest series, Dragon Ball Super, have kept the fire of DBZ stoked in my heart, the overall motivator were the wonderful messages I've gotten from readers - even after YEARS of inactivity on this story. Thanks again!
> 
> P.S.  
> There's still a WHOLE LOT of story between Sofia and Piccolo, but right now, I'll let them chill in my imagination and see what you guys think. Let me know if you'd put up with more from the twin stars in the future.  
> -ROGUEFURY


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